»     ......    Jl   ..»         *         * *      * 


^^w^^w^^^^[  y 

ONtVimiTYOI 
SAN  DIEGO 


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THE   POCKET   MEASURE. 


BY 

PANSY, 

AUTHOR  OF  "ESTER  RIED,"  "FOUR  GIRLS  AT  CHAUTAUQUA," 

"THE  CHAUTAUQUA  GIRLS   AT  HOME,"  "LINKS  IN 

REBECCA'S  LIFE,"  "  RUTH  ERSKINE'S  CROSSES," 

"  A  NEW  GRAFT  ON  THE  FAMILY 

TREE,"  &C, 


BOSTON: 
D.    LOTHROP    &    COMPANY, 

FRANKLIN   ST.,   CORNER  OF  HAWLEY. 


COPYRIGHT,   1881, 
BY  D.  LOTHROP  &  COMPANY. 


CONTENTS. 

CHAP.  PAGE 

i. — THE  SUM  TOTAL.        .  7 

2. — THEIR  JEWELS             «  24 

3. — CAKE  AND  BENEVOLENCE     ...  43 

4. — CAKE  MATHEMATICALLY  CONSIDERED.  62 

5.  —  INTERROGATION   POINTS        ...  80 

6. — A  SOCIAL  PROBLEM      ....  97 

7. — MEASURING  BRAINS  AND  HEARTS        .  114 

8.  —  SUBTLE  DISTINCTIONS  .         .        .         .  131 

9.  —  "YET  LACKEST  THOU  —  "  .        .        .  150 
10 — THEY  MEASURING  THEMSELVES  BY  THEM 
SELVES  ARE  NOT  WISE    .         .         .  1 68 

ii. — PERFECT  LOVE  CASTETH  OUT  FEAR     .  185 

12. — CONFLICTING  DUTIES  .        ...  203 

13.  —  SEED  SOWN  ON  THORNY  GROUND       .  219 

14. — A  PROBLEM 235 

15.  —  MEASURING  CHARACTER       .        .         .  252 

16.  —  "LAST  NIGHT"  MEASURED  BY  DAYLIGHT  269 
17. — AN  OPEN  DOOR 285 

5 


6  Contents. 

18. —  SERVING  CHRIST  IN  THE  KITCHEN     .  302 

19. — THE  ENDS  MEET.         .         .  .  320 

20.  —  MEASURED  BY  TRIAL  ....  339 

21.  —  THE  ANSWER 358 

22.  —  MEASURING  HUMAN  INFLUENCE  .        .  376 

23.  —  MEASURING  RESPONSIBILITY.         .        .  394 

24.  —  MEASURED  IN  PROSE  ....  412 

25.  —  SHIRKING  RESPONSIBILITY  .         .         .  429 

26.  —  MEASURING  ENTHUSIASM     .        .        .  447 

27.  —  MEASURING  SACRIFICES        .        .        .  465 

28.  —  THEN  AND  Now 481 

29. —  "GOOD  MEASURE."      ,        ,        ,        .  498 


THE    POCKET   MEASURE. 
CHAPTER  I. 

THE  SUM  TOTAL. 

T  was  just  a  speck  of  a  house  —  only- 
four  rooms  all  told  —  and  those  so  small 
that  a  -housekeeper  of  the  olden  time, 
rich  in  blankets,  and  bed  and  table  linen, 
would  have  thought  of  them  simply  as  good- 
sized  closets.  A  fashionable  lady  would  have 
been  in  despair ;  I  doubt  whether  she  could  have 
found  room  for  her  trunks !  Even  reasonable, 
present  day  housekeepers,  with  moderate  views 
and  small  families,  would  have  looked  doubt 
fully  about 'them,  and  wondered  where  the  sofa 
would  stand,  and  what  could  be  done  about 
7 


8  *  The  Pocket  Measure. 

the  large  wardrobe,  and  whether  the  piano 
could  be  gotten  in  at  all. 

But  to  Mrs.  Spafford  the  house  was  simply 
perfect.  I  do  not  know  that  she  would  have 
had  a  door  or  window  in  it  altered.  She  had 
no  piano,  and  no  large  wardrobe,  and  the  sofa 
was  just  a  canning  little  box  of  a  thing,  made 
by  Warren,  on  leisure  evenings.  There  was 
plenty  of  room  for  their  furniture  ;  indeed,  there 
was  more  room  than  they  needed ;  one,  the  least 
sunny  and  the  most  exposed  to  northern  storms, 
had  been  closed  and  locked,  and  the  key  hung 
on  a  far-up  nail  in  the  upper  hall,  until  such 
time  as  they  could  furnish  the  room.  When 
they  said  this  they  looked  at  each  other  and 
laughed;  hardly  anything  in  life  seemed  more 
improbable  to  them  than  that  they  should  ever 
have  means  to  furnish  that  unoccupied  room  ! 
The  furniture  in  their  bit  of  a  house,  though 
so  limited  in  quantity,  had  been  the  subject  of 
much  thought  and  care.  Each  individual  chair, 
could  it  have  spoken,  would  have  had  a  history 
to  relate.  There  were  only  six  chairs. 

"  After  all  what  do  we  need  of  more  ? " 
Callie  had  said,  putting  on  a  sober  face  as 


The  Sum  Total.  9 

soon  as  she  could,  after  the  laugh  which  their 
leanness  had  called  forth.  "  There  are  only 
two  of  us,  and  we  can't  occupy  more  than  a 
chair  apiece,  and  it  isn't  in  the  least  likely  that 
we  shall  have  more  than  four  visitors  at  a 
time.  Even  if  we  should,  they  could  sit  on 
the  sofa." 

"  Or  the  bed,"  Warren  had  suggested ;  and 
then  the  silly  young  couple  laughed  again. 
So  four  of  the  prim  little  chairs  had  been  duly 
installed  in  the  "parlor,"  two  of  them  to  come 
out  to  the  dining-room  at  meal-time ;  but  on 
other  occasions,  when  the  dining-room  became 
a  kitchen  and  washroom,  they  would  simply  be 
in  the  way.  Those  four  chairs,  with  the  meek 
little  oval  table  and  the  home-made  lounge, 
constituted  the  furnishing  of  that  parlor. 

"  Oh,  yes,  there  was  a  carpet  on  the  floor,  a 
pretty  pattern,  small  figured,  and  pleasantly 
harmonizing  colors;  not  very  fine,  it  is  true, 
but  decidedly  pretty.  Mrs.  Callie  Spafford  had 
studied  over  the  pattern  long  enough  to  drive 
the  impatient  carpet  clerk  nearly  to  distraction. 

"  For  an  upper  hall,  ma'am  ?  "  he  had  asked 
her,  civilly  enough,  when,  after  long  waiting, 


10  The  Pocket  Measure. 

and  many  thoughtful  stoppings  from  one  roll 
to  another,  she  made  the  selection,  and  named 
the  number  of  yards,  astonishing  the  clerk  by 
the  smallness  of  the  cut. 

She  had  answered  him  quickly  :  "  Oh,  no  !  " 
with  heightened  color,  and  then  had  turned 
quickly  and  bent  over  a  roll  of  stair-carpeting, 
to  hide  the  laugh  in  her  eyes,  and  also  to  avoid 
looking  at  Warren,  for  she  knew,  by  a  peculiar 
little  cough  which  he  gave,  that  he  was  laugh 
ing  inside. 

"  Can  I  sell  you  a  stair-carpet  to-day  ?  "  the 
watchful  clerk  had  asked  her,  as  he  briskly 
rolled  away  the  chosen  carpet,  and  gave  orders 
concerning  it  to  the  cutter. 

"  Oh,  no ! "  said  Mrs.  Spafford  again,  speak 
ing  as  quickly  as  before  ;  the  idea  of  their  buy 
ing  a  stair-carpet  I  And  this  time  they  did  look 
at  each  other  and  laugh. 

"  Two  young  things  just  getting  read}''  to 
play  housekeeping,"  said  the  clerk  to  himself 
and  he  grew  interested  and  sympathetic ;  and 
carpet  clerk  though  he  was,  followed  them 
down-stairs,  through  the  many  departments  of 
the  great  store,  advising,  suggesting,  reducing 


The  Sum  Total.  11 

prices  whenever  it  was  possible,  and  as  inter 
ested  in  all  the  purchases,  as  though  they  had 
been  his  friends  for  a  lifetime.  He  was  gray- 
haired,  and  he  remembered  the  very  morning 
he  went  with  his  wife  and  helped  her  buy 
dishes.  He  sold  dishes  on  this  occasion  with 
great  care,  and  by  his  timely  bits  of  advice, 
saved  the  young  couple  from  several  mistakes. 
So,  little  by  little,  had  the  little  house  been 
furnished.  Their  sleeping-room  was  guiltless 
of  a  carpet ;  one  had  been  as  much  as  their 
purse  would  allow,  and  of  course  that  must  be 
given  to  the  parlor;  but  a  bright  rug  of  Gre 
cian  pattern,  and  of  Callie's  own  make,  occu 
pied  the  bit  of  space  between  the  pine-board 
washstand  and  the  neat  little  bedstead.  These, 
with  the  two  chairs,  filled  the  room.  I  have 
forgotten  one  article  of  furniture ;  down-stairs 
in  the  parlor,  over  the  mantel,  there  hung  one 
of  those  old  paintings,  done  in  oil,  whose  sub 
dued  colors  and  graceful  outlines  tell  the  touch 
of  the  true  artist.  So  did  the  eyes  —  those  soft, 
tender,  almost  speaking  eyes  —  which  smiled 
down  on  you  as  soon  as  you  entered  the  door, 
and  turned  and  followed  you,  into  whatever 


12  The  Pocket  Measure, 

corner  of  the  room  you  went.  A  womanly  face ; 
kind  and  tender  and  pure,  with  certain  lines 
about  the  sweet  old  mouth  that  told  of  quiet 
firmness  and  strong  resolve,  and  certain  lines 
in  the  forehead  which  indicated  that  the  re 
solves  had  been  carried  into  action.  A  moth 
erly  face ;  placid  now,  but  suggesting  the  sort 
of  rest  that  comes  after  one  lias  gotten  above 
the  storms.  A  rare  work  of  art  it  was  —  fit 
to  grace  the  parlors  of  the  wealthiest ;  but  the 
original  was  a  rarer  work  of  God,  fitted  to 
grace  the  palace  of  the  King,  and  she  had  long 
since  gone  to  take  her  place  in  the  "mansion 
prepared  ;  "  —  Callie  Spafford's  mother.  A  wo 
man  who  had  lived,  and  suffered  and  endured, 
and  come  off  "  more  than  conqueror  through 
Him  that  loved"  her,  and  gone  away  to  abide 
with  him  forever ;  leaving  the  memory  of  the 
strong,  true  life  she  had  lived,  to  brood  over 
the  little  new  house  where  her  daughter  Callie, 
with  the  husband  of  her  choice,  were  to  begin 
life  together. 

They  sat  down  under  the  shadow  of  the  dear 
face  that  first  evening  in  the  new  home.  It 
had  been  a  busy  day,  and  everything  now  was 


The  Sum  Total.  13 

reduced  to  spotless  order.  The  little  new  tea 
kettle  had  been  tried,  the  small,  round  table 
had  been  drawn  out,  and  Gallic  had  placed  on 
it  her  finest  table-cloth  —  none  of  the  finest, 
though  —  and  they  had  sipped  their  tea  and 
eaten  their  bread  and  butter,  and  pretended  to 
pass  the  cake  and  sauce  to  each  other,  and 
laughed  merrily  over  the  absence  of  both,  and 
enjoyed  to  the  utmost,  this,  their  first  meal 
alone  together. 

They  were  old  married  people ;  that  is,  it 
had  been  fully  three  months  since  they  had 
publicly  pledged  themselves  to  each  other ! 
Since  which  time  they  had  been  as  busy  as 
bees,  getting  their  new  home  ready,  or  getting 
ready  for  it ;  hemming  and  hammering  of  eAren- 
ings  ;  for  all  day  Callie  had  spent  at  her  duties 
in  the  school-room,  and  the  husband  stood  be 
hind  the  desk  and  worked  at  his  rows  of 
figures ;  both  husband  and  wife  dreaming  of 
the  day  when  they  should  begin  housekeeping. 
Now  they  had  begun.  They  sat  in  the  pretty 
little  parlor  —  it  did  look  wondrously  pretty  to 
them,  despite  its  barrenness — and  watched  the 
play  of  light  and  shadow  made  by  the  dancing 


14  The  Pocket  Measure. 

flames  in  the  open  grate,  and  talked ;  gaily  at 
first,  then,  as  the  evening  waned,  more  quietly, 
of  their  plans  and  prospects  and  hopes;  saying 
nothing,  either  of  them,  of  any  fears.  Why 
should  they  have  fears?  They  had  furnished 
their  house,  and  bought  twenty-five  pounds  of 
flour  and  a  bushel  of  potatoes,  and  paid  a 
month's  rent  in  advance,  and  they  owed  no 
man  anything. 

"  There  is  one  thing,  Warren,  that  I  want  to 
talk  to  you  about,  right  away  at  the  beginning 
of  our  life,"  Gallic  said,  drawing  what  she 
called  their  one  extravagance,  a  small,  light 
rocker,  of  delicate  workmanship,  closer  to  her 
husband's  side;  "and  that  is  about  our  giving." 

"  About  our  giving  !  "  repeated  her  husband, 
with  a  bewildered  air  and  tone. 

"  Yes ;  don't  jon  think  we  ought  to  begin 
right,  about  that  as  well  as  in  other  things?" 

"  Assuredly,  little  wife  ;  we  want  to  begin  as 
right  as  we  can  ;^  but  what  do  you  want  to 
give  away,  and  who  needs  it  ?  What  are  you 
driving  at  ?  " 

"  Why,  Warren,  I  am  not  speaking  about  any 
particular  person,  you  know ;  I  mean  system- 


The  Sum  Total  15 

atic  giving;  I  want  to  begin  as  I  hope  we 
shall  continue,  and  give  regularly  to  whatever 
Christian  people  should  support." 

Her  husband  tried  to  maintain  a  becoming 
gravity. 

"  That  is  a  very  large  desire  of  your  large 
heart,"  he  said.  "  Don't  you  know  that  Chris 
tian  people  should  support  about  a  hundred 
charities,  more  or  less  ?  " 

"  I  know,"  she  said,  speaking  quickly  ;  "  and 
I  know  of  course,  it  is  very  little  we  can  do ; 
perhaps  we  can  not  include  them  all,  but  the 
more  prominent  ones.  We  can  give  just  a  little 
to  each  of  those,  can't  we?" 

"Always  provided  we  have  anything  to 
give,"  he  said,  speaking  lightly;  "  you  are  to 
be  provider,  you  know ;  I'll  furnish  the  monthly 
installments;  every  penny  of  it  shall  go  into 
your  hands.  I  have  enough  to  do  with  figures 
for  other  people,  don't  want  to  make  any  for 
myself,  so  I  give  you  leave  to  contrive  and 
scrimp  and  twist  and  turn  ourselves  and  our ' 
clothes,  and  if,  at  the  end  of  the  month,  you 
have  a  blessed  shilling  left,  which  I  more  than 
doubt,  you  shall  have  my  full  permission  to 


16  The  Pocket  Measure. 

divide  it  equally  on  all  the  benevolences  of  our 
Boards." 

The  comical  side  of  this  idea,  which  had 
seemed  to  grow  on  him  from  the  beginning  of 
the  sentence,  finally  controlled  him  entirely,  and 
he  closed  the  sentence  with  a  ringing  laugh. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon  Gallic,"  he  said,  at  last, 
seeing  that  she  joined  his  merriment,  only  by 
a  quiet  little  smile.  "  I  began  as  soberly  as  a 
judge,  but  the  fun  of  the  thing  got  hold  of 
me ;  why  see  here,  dear,  I  believe  I  shall  have 
to  figure  a  little  for  your  benefit,  after  all. 
Now  let's  put  it  in  black  and  white.  Twelve 
dollars  a  month  for  this  little  nest,  and  you 
know  it  was  impressed  upon  us  that  it  was 
ruinously  cheap,  that  is  one  hundred  and  forty- 
four  dollars  a  year  to  begin  with.  Now  take 
coal,  these  grates  burn  up  a  good  deal,  one, 
two,  well  —  mind  you,  I  don't  believe  it  pos 
sible  to  get  through  a  year  for  twenty  dollars, 
but  we'll  call  it  that;  now  suppose  we  put 
down  our  board  at  six  dollars  a  week,  three 
apiece,  you  know  —  we  cant  keep  it  as  low  as 
that,  because  there  will  be  a  friend  dropping  in, 
DOW  and  then,  and  accidents  occurring  whereby 


The  Sum  Total.  17 

things  will  be  spilled  or  spoiled ;  oh,  I  know 
you  are  a  capital  housekeeper;  I  don't  say  I 
expect  such  things  oftener  than  would  occur 
in  any  well-regulated  family,  but  it  is  reason 
able  to  expect  a  few  such  leaks ;  there  are  fifty- 
two  weeks  in  the  year,  but  we'll  play  that  we 
go  a-visiting  for  two  weeks,  or  fast,  and  call  it 
a  round  three  hundred,  without  any  calcula 
tion  for  leakages ;  too  low,  you  see ;  you  would 
wear  yourself  into  a  shadow  trying  to  keep 
within  such  figures,  but  for  the  sake  of  the 
argument  we'll  put  them  down.  Now,  clothes, 
even  wedding  ones,  will  wear  out,  and  dishes 
will  break,  and  pumps  will  grow  leaky  and 
have  to  be  repaired ;  allow  a  hundred  dollars 
for  clothes  and  repairs,  yours  and  mine,  and 
the  pumps,  you  know ;  it  wouldn't  furnish  some 
of  the  ladies  with  one  new  gown,  but  it  will 
you.  Now,  what  is  the  sum  ?  Just  five  hun 
dred  and  sixty-four  dollars,  counting  out  those 
two  weeks  that  we  are  to  visit  —  I  don't  know 
who  on  earth  we'll  visit,  do  you?  But  when 
you  add  to  that  an  estimate  for  sickness  and 
accident  and  car-fare  —  I  declare  I  forgot  car 
fare  —  that  will  be,  let  me  see,  up  and  down, 


18  The  Pocket  Measure. 

morning  and  evening,  eight  cents  a  day,  throe 
hundred  and  —  what  a  pity  there  are  so  many 
days  in  the  year!  But  then,  it  is  a  blessing 
there  are  so  many  Sundays  to  take  out.  Eight 
times  three  —  twenty-five  dollars  as  sure  as  I'm 
a  mathematician !  Who  would  have  supposed 
it?  Well,  now,  my  dear  benevolent  little  wo 
man,  when  you  sum  that  all  up,  and  add  some 
thing  for  ten  thousand  million  things  that  we 
haven't  thought  of  at  all,  and  that  will  spring 
up  and  insist  on  being  paid  for,  and  substract 
the  amount  from  the  enormous  sum  total  of 
six  hundred  dollars,  what  do  you  fancy  will 
be  left  for  us  to  be  benevolent  on  ? " 

During  this  rapid  estimate  of  their  worldly 
affairs,  Gallic  had  listened  intentty,  and  laughed 
with  her  husband  over  the  queer  way  of  put 
ting  things,  but  when  he  confronted  her  with 
that  appalling  sum  total,  she  met  the  laugh 
in  his  eyes  with  an  undismayed  face,  and  with 
no  abatement  of  the  earnest  look  in  her  steady 
eyes. 

"  That  is  all  very  true,  I  suppose,  only  my 
dear  husband,  I  think  you  began  at  the  wrong 
end !  " 


The  Sum  Total.  19 

He  regarded  her  with  a  good-humored  in 
quiry.  "  If  there  is  any  end  to  begin  at  that 
will  make  this  sum  total  look  more  inviting, 
I'm  ready  to  be  convinced,"  he  said,  gayly. 

"  Don't  you  see,  dear,  that  you  have  planned 
for  the  daily  living,  even  to  the  burnt  meats 
and  sour  bread,  and  you  have  left  the  duty 
of  giving  subject  to  the  accident  of  having 
something  left  after  all  our  wants  are  supplied. 
Is  that  really  the  way  ?  " 

Her  listener  looked  more  and  more  bewild 
ered  : 

"  Gallic,  dear,"  he  said,  speaking  gravely, 
"I  really  have  made  a  very  low  estimate, 
and  of  course  there  will  many  expenses  occur 
that  we  do  not  think  of  now;  do  you  see 
any  way  that  we  could  plan  to  avoid  any  of 
these  ?  Or,  what  have  you  in  mind ;  what  is 
it  that .  you  think  we  ought  to  do  ?  " 

"I  can  tell  you  just  what  I  would  like  to 
do;  I  have  been  thinking  a  good  deal  about 
this  subject  of  late,  studying  about  it,  and 
what  I  should  be  glad  to  do  would  be  to 
begin  now,  even  with  our  little  income,  to 
lay  aside  one-tenth  of  it  for  the  Lord." 


20  The  Pocket  Measure. 

"  One-tenth ! "  Not  even  the  solemnity  of 
the  conclusion  could  arrest  the  unbounded 
astonishment  in  his  voice.  "  Why,  Gallic, 
dear,  have  you  thought  what  you  are  saying? 
That  would  be  sixty  dollars !  How  could  we 
possibly  spare  it  from  our  income  and  live  ? 
We  must  live,  you  know." 

"I  know  it,  Warren,  and  the  Lord  knows 
it,  too  ;  and  3ret  I  believe  if  we  should  start 
out  with  that  determination,  and  adhere  to 
it  closely,  he  would  own  and  bless  the  of 
fering." 

"I  don't  know,  dear;  I  don't  think  I  have 
your  faith;  it  seems  to  me  that  I  ought  to 
provide  for  my  own  household  first ;  isn't  there 
something  about  a  man  being  worse  than  a 
heathen  who  neglects  to  do  that  ?  " 

"  Oh,  Warren  !  I  don't  feel  in  any  danger 
of  starvation ;  and  I  do  want  to  try  this  way ; 
it  lies  very  near  my  heart.  I  believe  it  is  the 
right  way  to  do.  That  one  verse  has  lingered  in 
my  mind  ever  since  we  were  married  —  ever 
since  we  planned  this  little  home,  and  thought 
of  all  the  delight  it  would  be.  I  think  we 
can  do  it ;  your  estimate  of  clothing  I  believe 


The  Sum  Total.  21 

was  larger  than  necessary;  I  know  how  to 
be  very  economical  in  my  dress." 

"What's  the  verse,  Gallic ?" 

"  Oh  the  verse,  it  was  Jacob's  vow :  "  And 
of  all  that ,  thou  shalt  give  me,  I  will  surely  give 
the  tenth  unto  thee.'  " 

"Jacob!  well  if  I  remember  the  circum 
stances  he  wasn't  a  very  reputable  party  to 
imitate  ;  I  never  approved  of  his  proceedings 
about  that  time,  nor  for  years  afterwards." 

"  Oh  but  Warren,  you  remember  how  the 
Lord  blessed  and  prospered  him.  I  believe 
that  one  thing  that  Jacob  did  was  right ;  and 
it  is  that  I  want  you  to  imitate,  not  the  other 
part  of  his  conduct.  Warren,  I'll  tell  you,  I 
don't  want  to  influence  you  unduly  in  this  thing. 
I  should  like  it  very  much,  and  I  believe  it 
is  the  right  way,  and  that  we  could  accom 
plish  it ;  of  course  we  could,  you  know,  if 
it  is  the  right  thing  for  us  to  do  ;  but  I  won't 
urge  it  any  further.  I'll  just  ask  you  to  kneel 
down  now,  while  we  set  up  our  family  altar, 
and  make  it  a  special  subject  of  prayer ;  ask 
the  Lord  Jesus  if  he  would  like  to  have  us 
give  that  sixty  dollars  back  to  him." 


22  The  Pocket  Measure. 

It  seemed  to  the  young  husband  a  very  start 
ling  way  to  put  it ;  he  could  have  argued  some 
what  longer,  on  logical  grounds,  but  to  ask 
the  Lord  Jesus  what  he  thought  about  it  was 
making  the  thing  a  tremendously  earnest  one  ; 
sort  of  obliging  a  man  to  abide  by  the  reply 
which  should  be  received.  Nevertheless,  he 
felt  unwilling  to  say  that  he  was  not  ready 
to  pray  over  it ;  so  they  bowed  before  the  Lord 
for  the  first  time  in  their  new  home.  It  was 
an  earnest  prayer  that  followed.  A  listener 
would  have  felt  sure  that  the  young  man  who 
prayed  was  very  sincere  and  would  certainly 
abide  by  the  decision  which  should  be  reached. 
And  the  tone  of  the  prayer  changed  gradually 
from  that  of  inquiry  to  something  very  like 
assurance,  so  that  Gallic  was  not  surprised  to 
hear  him  say  as  soon  as  they  arose : 

"  We  will  try  it,  Gallic,  and  see  whether  we 
can  pull  through." 

But  she   promptly  shook   her  head   at   this. 

"  Don't  put  it  in  that  way,  Warren,  as  if 
we  were  willing  to  try  the  Lord  for  a  little 
while,  and  see  whether  he  would  do  as  he  said  ; 
I  know  you  don't  mean  that,  but  perhaps  it 


The  Sum  Total.  23 

sounds  like  it  to  him  ;  let  us  take  Jacob  for 
our  model,  for  this  time  at  least.  '  I  will  surely 
give  the  tenth  unto  thee.'  Let  us  say  it  with 
the  'surety,'  very  prominent." 

"  But  Gallic,  dear,  that  is  very  serious  busi 
ness  —  an  absolute  promise  you  know ;  it  is 
of  the  nature  of  an  oath,  and  I  am  afraid  — 
we  are  poor." 

To  this,  his  wife  made  no  sort  of  answer, 
only  stood,  with  hands  clasping  his  arms, 
looking  up  into  his  face  with  very  grave 
eyes.  A  moment  of  silence,  then  he  laughed. 

"I  see  precisely  how  that  sounds,  Callie, 
as  though  I  was  willing  to  make  a  trial  of 
the  Lord's  service,  but  unwilling  to  swing 
off  entirety,  without  a  rope  to  cling  to. 
Come  now,  I  swing  off ;  let's  repeat  it,  Callie 
trusting  in  strength  from  Him  to  make  it 
good."  And  seizing  her  hands  he  clasped 
them  in  his  own,  and  raised  them  in  the  attitude 
of  prayer,  while  both  voices  repeated  the 
words ;  "  And  of  all  that  thou  shalt  give  me, 
I  will  surely  give  the  tenth  unto  thee." 


CHAPTER  II. 

THEIB  JEWELS. 

Ants 

MONG   Mrs.    Callie's  wedding  presents 

had  been  an  elegant  velvet-covered, 
gold-mounted  jewel-case,  the  gift  of  one 
of  her  school  friends.  Callie  had  smiled  when 
she  saw  it,  and  speculated  as  to  the  amount  it 
had  cost,  and  wondered  when  she  would  be 
likely  to  possess  jewels  elegant  enough  to  re 
pose  in  such  grandeur.  The  plain  gold  watch 
she  wore,  and  the  simple  pin  and  cuff-buttons 
that  did  dirty  every  day,  comprised  the  extent 
of  her  stock. 

On  the  very  morning  after  the  new  covenant 
relations   had  been   entered   into,  Callie   went, 

with  bright   eyes,   to    the   clothes-press    shelf, 

24 


Their  Jewels.  25 

1  A 

where,  for  want  of  a  better  place,  she  had  set 
the  beauty,  carefully  wrapped  in  many  papers, 
took  off  its  wrappings,  turned  the  tiny  golden 
key,  and  looked  in  on  the  delicate  pink  cotton 
reposing  there,  with  intense  satisfaction.  She 
had  suddenly  fallen  heir  to  jewels  which  she 
meant  should  sparkle  therein.  She  took  it 
down-stairs  with  her  and  set  it  on  the  parlor 
mantel,  while  she  robed  the  little  dining-table 
and  prepared  the  morning  meal.  The  tea-ket 
tle  was  already  singing,  and  the  aroma  of  coffee 
and  faint  odors  of  delicately  browning  toast 
presently  fijled  the  air.  It  was  as  complete  a 
little  photograph  of  Eden  as  Warren  Spafford 
cared  to  see.  So  he  thought  at  that  moment, 
as  he  pushed  open  the  side  door,  letting  in  the 
fresh,  morning  air,  and  bearing  in  either  hand 
a  scuttle  of  coal  and  a  pail  of  water,  that  were 
to  save  the  steps  of  the  presiding  genius  of 
Eden  during  the  day.  These  were  fresh 
healthy  young  lives,  and  the  prose,  which  had 
constantly  to  interfere,  in  no  way  jarred  the 
poetry  that  they  felt  sure  they  were  living. 

His  wife  turned  toward  him  with  sparkling 
eyes. 


26  The  Pocket  Measure. 

"  Oh,  Warren,  I  have  such  a  nice  idea  !  Isn't 
this  the  day  your  month's  salary  is  due  ?  r' 

"  The  very  day,  you  small  miser  !  I  expect 
to  bring  it  home  with  me  this  evening.  Do 
you  burn  to  spend  it  ?  " 

"  Just  as  fast  as  I  can,"  she  said,  gayly ; 
"  but  see  here,"  and  she  brought  out  the  blue 
velvet  treasure.  "Warren,  don't  you  know 
how  we  laughed  over  poor  Florrie's  gift,  and 
wondered  what  use  we  should  ever  make  of 
it?  I  have  thought  of  a  use.  You  know  that 
five  dollars,  the  tenth  ?  Well,  could  you 
bring  it  to  me  in  little  bits  of  gold  dollars  and 
let  me  keep  it  in  here  for  our  jewels  ?  Then 
I'll  wear  the  key  on  my  chain,  and  whenever 
we  want  to  give,  the  money  will  be  at  hand." 

"  Until  it  is  spent,"  he  said,  in  a  tone  of  in 
tense  amusement.  "Five  'little  bits  of  gold 
dollars  '  every  month  !  Our  Boards  can  surely 
pay  off  their  debts  when  they  hear  of  it.  My 
dear  Gallic,  I  hadn't  the  least  idea  you  were 
so  sentimental!  Wouldn't  it  be  a  great  deal 
more  prudent  to  keep  the  money  in  the  savings- 
bank,  and  draw  it  as  you  have  need  ?  " 

"I  will  be  prudent  with  it.      I   truly  don't 


Their  Jewels.  27 

think  it  is  a  fortune,  and  I  presume  the  idea 
is  just  as  silly  and  unbusiness-like  as  possible, 
but  I  do  so  like  the  thought  of  seeing  our 
little  gold  offering  nestling  in  that  pretty  box, 
and  thinking  that  they  are  the  Lord's  jewels, 
and  he  will  guide  the  using." 

For  a  moment  her  husband  was  entirely  si 
lent  ;  then  he  said,  in  a  low  tone : 

"  Whether  it  is  sentimentality  or  not,  it 
moves  me  strangely ;  perhaps  we  are  both  sen 
timental,  and  perhaps  it  is,  even  in  -so  small  a 
thing,  the  Lord's  leading.  We  will  put  the 
jewels,  there,  dear,  and  they  shall  be  his." 

It  was  the  next  morning  that  Mrs.  Spafford, 
having  set  her  small  house  in  completest  order, 
arrayed  herself  for  the  street,  and  then  sat 
down  in  the  parlor,  opposite  that  box  wherein 
she  knew  gleamed  five  golden  jewels,  pencil 
and  paper  in  hand,  prepared  to  plan  her  battle 
with  life  at  forty-five  dollars  a  mouth. 

At  her  feet  sat  the  small  market-basket,  in 
which  was  to  be  placed  her  purchases  for  the 
day ;  the  question  to  be  determined  was,  what 
could  she  afford  to  buy  ?  "  Let  me  see,"  she 
said,  making  small,  swift  figures  (she  was  as 


28  The  Pocket  Measure. 

rapid  an  accountant,  in  her  way,  as  her  hus 
band  was  in  his ) ;  "  thirty-one  days  in  a 
month ;  I  mean  to  count  in  that  way,  then  I 
shall  have  a  little  surplus  for  extras  when  those 
good  months  come  that  have  only  thirty,  and 
on  that  blessed  February  we'll  have  a  real 
feast!" 

"  I  entered  into  a  speculation,"  her  husband 
had  explained  the  night  before,  when  the 
monthly  salary  was  talked  over.  "  I  discovered 
that  by  bujring  a  month's  car-tickets  in  advance 
I  could  get  them  for  two  dollars ;  that  is  a  sav 
ing  of  eight  cents  a  month,  ninety-six  cents  a 
year,  I  want  you  to  understand,  and  you  will 
have  the  goodness  to  give  me  credit  for  the 
same  on  your  day-book  !  " 

This  sentence,  gotten  off  with  many  a  flour 
ish,  ended  in  a  laugh,  in  which  Gallic  joined 
before  she  said: 

"  Now  we  can  laugh,  but  really  that  is  worth 
a  good  deal ;  suppose  by  careful  management 
we  can  save  a  dollar  a  year  on  each  of  our  ex 
penditures,  we  could  keep  a  savings-bank  ac 
count  against  the  rainy  day  that  people  are  so 
fond  of  getting  ready  for.  I  know  I  have  met 


Their  Jewels.  29 

people  who  it  seemed  to  me,  would  rather  trust 
their  'rainy  day  fund'  than  the  Lord." 

"  Keep  a  bank  account  by  all  means,  if  pos 
sible,"  her  husband  had  answered,  and  he  had 
gone  away  with  a  laugh  that  he  did  not  mean 
his  wife  should  know  covered  a  little  sigh.  No 
one  would  have  liked  better  than  he,  to  so  fill 
her  purse  that  she  should  have  no  need  to  puzzle 
her  brains  about  the  small  economies  with 
which  he  thought  he  foresaw  her  life  was  to  be 
filled.  But  she,  with  serene  brow,  sat  this 
morning  fingering  the  bills  that  all  told, 
amounted  to  forty-three-dollars. 

"  Forty-three  dollars,  to  be  divided  between 
thirty-one  days,  gives  me  one  dollar  and  thirty- 
eight  cents  a  day,  and  almost  one  cent  over ; 
that  one  cent  shall  be  counted  on  the  savings'- 
bank  fund ;  I  will  have  one  if  Warren  does 
laugh  at  me  ;  he  shall  not  know  anything  about 
it  until  some  dreary  day,  when  the  wind  is 
blowing  and  the  rain  is  driving  against  the 
windows,  he  staggers  home  and  tells  me  he  is 
on  the  eve  of  failure,  and  I  bring  out  my  sav- 
ings'-bank  book  and  show  him  that  the  sum 
exactly  meets  his  awful  needs  —  a  la  dime  novel 


30  The  Pocket  Measure. 

style  !  "  Whereupon  she  laughed  aloud  —  a 
free,  glad  laugh,  that  covered  no  thought  of  a 
sigh ;  she  even  rejoiced  that  her  husband's 
position,  as  a  mere  clerk,  saved  him  from  any 
fear  of  bankruptcy.  Gallic  Spafford  had  that 
sweet,  rare  spirit,  which  knows  how  to  find 
cause  for  joy  in  each  of  the  appointments  of 
life.  "  Seventy-five  cents  a  day  ought  to  buy 
our  food  and  the  fuel  to  cook  it  with ;  I  wonder 
if  it  will  ?  Dear  me  !  I  am  forgetting  Warren's 
lunch  down  town !  What  a  pity  he  has  to 
do  that;  I  could  furnish  him  with  a  so  much 
nicer  one  at  cheaper  rates.  Well,  twenty- 
five  cents  a  day  for  that  is  seven  dollars  and 
seventy-five  cents  a  month.  What  dreadful 
creatures  figures  are !  They  go  and  multiply 
themselves  so  unfeelingly  before  one.  Now 
I  just  wonder  if  we  could  have  breakfasts  and 
suppers  each  day  on  the  fifty  cents  left?  As 
for  my  dinner  that  won't  amount  to  much. 
Who  wants  to  eat  dinners  all  alone  ?  I  don't 
mean  to  starve,  and  I  don't  mean  to  have 
Warren  think  anything  looks  starved,  but 
what  is  the  harm  in  my  experimenting  as 
to  what  can  be  done  ?  I've  wanted  to  try  it 


Their  Jewels.  31 

ever  since  I  boarded  with  poor  Mrs.  Perkins 
and  she  gave  us  tough  beef-steak  and  sour 
baker's  bread,  or,  at  all  events,  baker's  sour 
bread,  at  three  dollars  and  a  half  a  week ; 
and  '  lost  money  every  blessed  week.'  I  don't 
believe  a  word  of  it.  I  mean  I  don't  believe 
she  managed  matters  as  she  might,  if  she 
hadn't  spent  so  much  time  weeping  over  the 
hardness  of  her  lot.  Now,  Gallic  Spafford, 
shoulder  your  market-basket  and  see  what 
you  can  do  for  a  hungry  family  at  fifty  cents 
a  day ;  it  shall  be  that,  until  further  notice 
at  least." 

f  Oh,  there  is  Callie  Howell ! "  a  clear 
voice  exclaimed,  as  the  young  matron,  market- 
basket  in  hand,  entered  the  narrow  court, 
which,  at  that  end  of  the  city,  served  as  a 
market-place. 

The  voice  belonged  to  one  of  the  deal- 
five  hundred  friends  of  her  maidenhood ;  none 
of  them  so  very  dear,  yet  she  was  glad  to  see 
them  all.  This  one,  Jennie  West  by  name, 
was  one  with  whom  she  had,  perhaps,  been 
least  familiar,  so  far  as  real  friendship  goes ; 


32  The  Pocket  Measure. 

but  there  was  a  ring  of  gladness  in  the  voice ; 
everybody  had  liked  Gallic  Howell. 

The  brisk  young  book-keeper,  near  whom 
she  was  standing,  was  the  first  to  respond : 

"  Miss  Jennie,  I  am  shocked  at  your  fa 
miliarity  !  Don't  you  know  that  is  not 
Gallic  Howell  at  all,  but  Mrs.  Warren 
Spafford  ?  " 

"Yes,  she  is  Callie  Howell:  I  am  going 
to  forget  that  she  has  gone  and  spoiled  our 
circle  by  consenting  to  be  an  old  married 
woman." 

And,  market-place  though  it  was,  Miss 
Jennie,  who  was  perhaps  at  all  times  a  trifle 
too  loud-voiced,  came  forward  eagerly  and 
bestowed  her  hearty  greetings,  even  to  kisses, 
upon  the  little  market-woman. 

"  A  market-basket !  "  she  said,  still  speak 
ing  in  loud  tones.  "  Do  you  do  your  own 
marketing?  How  very  funny!" 

"Why,  who  would  do  it,  my  child?"  the 
matron  said,  in  nowise  discomposed,  and  she 
looked  at  the  yellow  feet  and  pink  ruffle  of 
a  chicken  lying  near,  with  the  air  of  a  skilled 
market-woman.  "  Mr.  Spafford  has  to  take  the 


Their  Jewels.  33 

seven  o'clock  car  down ;  he  has  little  time  for 
family  duties.  What  is  poultry  worth  to-day  ?  " 

"I'd  make  him  get  up  early,  then,  and  do 
it  all  before  seven  o'clock,"  Miss  Jennie  inter 
posed.  "  Isn't  housekeeping  horrid,  Gallic  ?  I 
know  all  about  it ;  mother  was  away  for  three 
weeks,  and  I  had  all  the  care  of  the  house ;  I 
thought  I  should  die,  certainly ;  and  things 
got  themselves  into  the  awfullest  confusion 
while  she  was  gone  !  Oh,  my !  It  makes  me 
shiver  to  think  of  those  three  weeks.  Mother 
said  she  never  saw  such  a  house." 

"  How  much  hired  help  does  your  mother 
keep?"  queried  Mrs.  Spafford,  with  an  amused 
smile. 

"  Why,  we  only  keep  two  girls,  and  you  know 
we  have  a  large  house  to  look  after,  and  quite 
a  family.  It  is  too  much;  I  wonder  that 
mother  doesn't  die.  It  nearly  killed  me  ;  now 
honestly,  Callie  Ho  well,  you  needn't  laugh  at 
me ;  you  always  did  laugh  at  me,  you  know ; 
I  was  completely  worn  out,  and  had  to  come 
up  here  to  rest.  Mrs.  Evans  is  trying  to 
nurse  me  up.  Do  you  know  Mrs.  Evans? 
You  ought  to,  she  belongs  right  here  in  your 


34  The  Pocket  Measure. 

neighborhood.  Mrs.  Evans,  Mrs.  Spafford ;  she 
is  my  dearest  friend,  Callie,  or  she  used  to 
be  before  she  was  so  foolish  as  to  get  married, 
and  wear  her  life  out  with  house-keeping ! 
How  you  girls  can  do  it  is  beyond  me !  " 

"I  don't  believe  we  feel  in  the  least  like 
martyrs,"  Mrs.  Spafford  said,  laughing,  as  she 
acknowledged  this  public  introduction  by  a 
cordial  clasp  of  the  hand. 

The  slight,  fair-faced  woman,  with  a  some 
what  perplexed  face  and  unnaturally  flushed 
cheeks,  was  the  same  who  had  attracted  her  ad 
miring  attention  in  church  the  Sabbath  before. 
The  market-place  was  an  unpleasantly  public 
one  in  which  to  form  new  acquaintances,  but 
very  little  in  the  way  of  propriety  could  be 
expected  from  Jennie  West,  so  she  accepted  the 
situation;  laughing  meantime  over  the  thought 
that  the  gay  young  girl,  the  very  picture  of 
blooming  health,  had  come  up  to  be  nursed  by 
this  fair,  frail  woman.  Meantime  Jennie  had 
jumped  to  an  entirely  different  line  of  thought. 

"  Oh,  Eva !  here  are  strawberries !  Don't 
they  look  perfectly  lovely?  Who  would  have 
expected  to  see  them  so  early?  Why,  they 


Their  Jewels.  35 

fairly  make  my  mouth  water !  You  must  have 
some  of  them  for  desert ;  they  will  be  delightful 
with  cream  and  sponge  cake.  Eva,  my  dear, 
attend  to  business ;  don't  you  see  the  treasures 
will  all .  be  gone  in  a  few  minutes  ?  " 

This  last,  with  a  touch  on  the  lady's  arm,  and 
a  pretty  affectation  of  importance,  as  Mrs. 
Evans  with  cheeks  heightened  in  color,  ap 
peared  to  be  absorbed  in  examining  some  scaly 
fish  ;  meantime  the  class  of  customers  who  are 
always  eager  for  things  out  of  season,  was  sur 
rounding  the  strawberries. 

Mrs.  Spafford,  meantime,  seemed  to  have 
forgotten  her  chicken,  and  was  watching  Mrs. 
Evans  with  thoughtful  eyes.  She  turned  at 
Jennie's  peremptory  summons,  with  the  flush 
still  deepening  and  with  a  hesitating  air. 

"  I  don't  know,"  she  said,  doubtfully. 

"Well,  you  will  know  in  a  few  minutes," 
with  a  half-impatient  little  laugh.  "  They 
will  all  be  gone,  and  that  will  settle  the  ques 
tion  for  you.  Gallic,  don't  you  want  a  box  of 
these  strawberries  for  your  market-basket  ?  " 

Mrs.  Spafford  was  glad  for  this  question,  and 
answered  promptly : 


36  The  Pocket  Measure. 

"  No,  indeed  ;  I  am  too  wise  a  house-keeper 
even  to  inquire  the  price.  The  idea  of  any 
but  millionnaires  buying  strawberries  at  this 
time  of  year !  Even  then  I  fancy  I  could  find 
happier  ways  of  disposing  of  my  money." 

"  Oh,  you  horrid  little  miser !  You  were 
always  saving  your  pocket-money  in  school. 
I  thought  you  would  get  over  that  habit  when 
you  took  a  husband  to  support  you." 

Gallic  paid  no  attention  to  this  sentence, 
though  the  tone  was  so  loud  that  ordinarily 
it  would  have  annoyed  her,  on  the  score  of 
good  breeding.  She  was  engaged  in  watching 
the  effect  of  her  words  on  Mrs.  Evans,  and 
was  glad  to  see  a  little  letting  up  of  the  look 
of  pained  perplexity,  and  to  hear  her  answer 
her  gay  tormentor's  next  appeal  with  some 
thing  like  decision. 

"I  believe,  Jennie,  the  strawberries  are  too 
expensive  for  my  purse  to-day.  I  didn't  get 
enough  money  from  Dane  for  any  special  extras 
this  morning." 

"  Oh,  you  horrid  housekeepers  I  "  said  Jen 
nie,  with  a  becoming  little  pout.  "  What  a 
prosy  life  you  must  live,  counting  the  pennies 


Their  Jewels.  37 

and  asking  your  husbands  whenever  you  want 
even  a  strawberry !  I  wouldn't  be  in  your 
shoes  for  the  world  ! " 

"  It  is  well  you  are  a  privileged  person, 
Jennie,"  Mrs.  Spafford  answered  her  laughing. 

For  herself,  she  was  as  indifferent  as  pos 
sible  to  what  the  saucy,  foolish  tongue  might 
say  ;  but  it  was  evident  that  Mrs.  Evans  winced 
under  it.  She  looked  worn  and  harrassed ;  and 
Gallic,  as  she  watched  her,  felt  an  unaccount 
able  pity  stealing  into  her  heart  for  the  pale 
woman,  and  made  a  sudden  resolve  to  shield 
her  further,  if  necessary,  from  Jennie's  attacks. 
"  Perhaps  she  hasn't  made  a  pencil  and  paper 
calculation  this  morning  as  to  what  she  will 
spend  and  what  she  won't,  and  so  feels  weak." 
This  she  told  herself  by  way  of  excusing  her 
championship,  and  then  plunged  boldly  in. 

"  Isn't  poultry  unaccountably  high  this  morn 
ing?  I  was  going  to  indulge  in  a  nice  little 
chicken  for  our  dinner  to-night,  but  really  I  can't 
afford  it  much  better  than  the  strawberries. 
You  see,"  with  a  bright  little  smile,  "although 
I  have  been  keeping  house  for  myself  but  one 
day,  I  am,  nevertheless,  a  practical  housekeeper, 


38  The  Pocket  Measure. 

and  I  don't  like  to  waste  money  on  extravagant 
purchases.  I  don't  believe  1  should  if  I  had 
the  money  to  spend,  which  1  hav'n't." 

Mrs.  Evans  regarded  her  with  a  sudden  ac 
cession  of  interest. 

"Are  you  really  a  practical  housekeeper?" 
she  asked.  "I  wish  I  were.  I  have  been  keep 
ing  house  for  three  months,  but  I  didn't  know 
anything  about  it  when  I  commenced,  and  I 
don't  seem  to  have  learned  a  great  deal.  How 
did  you  learn  ?  " 

"  Mother  arid  I  kept  house  together  for  ten 
years.  I  was  a  school-girl  most  of  the  time, 
and  a  teacher  during  the  last  two  years;  but 
still  I  was  my  mother's  market-woman,  confi 
dential  clerk,  and,  a  good  deal  of  the  time,  her 
cook  and  table  waiter ;  so  I  learned  all  about 
it.  My  mother  was  a  wonderful  teacher." 

"  And  does  your  mother  live  with  you  now  ?  " 

A  swift,  tender  shadow  passed  over  the  bright 
face,  and  the  voice  dropped  lower. 

"She  went  away  to  her  home  a  little  more 
than  a  year  ago." 

Mrs.  Evans  reached  forth  her  hand  and  laid 
it  impulsively  on  Callie's. 


Their  Jewels.  39 

"  My  mother  died  nearly  two  years  ago,  but 
I  miss  her  so  !  " 

There  was  a  real  heart-cry  in  the  sentence. 

Jennie's  loud  voice  recalled  them  to  prac 
tical  life. 

"Come,  you  two  are  sentimentalizing,  I 
believe,  and  the  result  will  be  you  will  neither 
of  you  have  anything  for  dinner,  unless  I  help. 
After  all,  I  believe  I  would  make  a  better 
housekeeper  than  either  of  you.  Will  Cole- 
man,  can't  you  come  here  and  figure  out  the 
respective  dinners  of  these  two  matrons  ?  They 
are  in  danger  of  starving  unless  some  judicious 
person  comes  to  their  aid." 

Thus  challenged,  the  young  book-keeper  got 
down  from  his  perch,  came  over  and  shook 
hands  with  Mrs.  Spafford,  and  chatted  with 
Jennie.  He  was  a  recent  importation  to  that 
end  of  the  city,  from  the  main  store  down 
town ;  he  had  known  Gallic  Howell  in  their 
set  as  a  teacher,  and  he  had  the  same  feeling  of 
hearty  respect  for  her  that  she  had  always 
inspired.  He  did  not  feel  sufficiently  intimate 
with  her  to  suggest  her  bill  of  fare  ;  still  he 
was  in  no  sense  averse  to  a  chat  with  Miss 


40  The  Pocket  Measure. 

Jennie.  Truth  to  tell,  he  had  been  no  unin 
terested  listener  to  the  queer  snatches  of  con 
versation  that  had  been  going  on.  He  was  a 
rapid  accountant,  and,  if  Miss  Jennie  had  but 
known  it,  a  good  deal  of  mental  arithmetic 
had  been  gotten  through  with  during  the  five 
minutes.  He  had  speculated  as  to  the  prob 
able  amount  of  Warren  Spafford's  salary,  the 
probable  house  rent  he  paid,  the  possible 
cost  of  living  with  such  a  manager  as  Gallic 
Howell  at  the  head  of  affairs,  all  the  while 
giving  certain  thoughtful  glances  toward  Miss 
Jennie,  that  showed  whither  his  hopes  were 
tending ;  and  then,  as  she  acknowledged  her 
dislike  for  the  cares  of  housekeeping,  her  ig 
norance  of  details,  and  exhibited  her  utter 
disregard  for  small  economies,  not  to  say  her 
contempt  for  the  same,  he  had  drawn  a  little 
sigh  and  plunged  into  the  column  of  figures 
before  him.  Still,  he  liked  to  get  down  from 
his  stool  and  come  and  talk  with  Miss  Jennie. 
He  liked  also,  to  think  that  she  was  a  friend 
of  Gallic  Spafford.  That  lady,  meantime,  had 
really  not  been  idle.  She  had  given  certain 
swift  glances  up  and  down  the  rows  of  eat- 


Their  Jewels.  41 

ables,  made  her  mental  calculation,  determined 
what  she  could  have  and  what  she  couldn't, 
and  was  now  prepared  to  act  accordingly. 

"  Is  the  poultry  very  high  ? "  questioned 
Mrs.  Evans,  in  a  sudden  confidential  whisper. 
"I  think  Jennie  is  fond  of  it." 

"  Ruinously  high,  and  not  very  good  at  that." 
If  Jennie  were  my  guest,  she  would  have  to 
wait  for  prices  to  lower." 

"That  is  true,"  she  added,  brightly,  as 
Jennie  caught  the  sentence  and  shook  her 
pretty,  curly  head. 

"  Spoil  all  my  plans,"  said  Jennie,  with 
another  pretty  affectation  of  a  pout,  while  Mrs. 
Evans  looked  in  admiring  awe  at  her  new 
friend  for  daring  to  avow  her  economies  so 
boldly.  Then,  Jennie,  with  a  sudden,  bright 
smile,  "  if  you'll  buy  some  of  that  asparagus 
I'll  desert  Eva  altogether  and  go  home  with 
you  to  dinner." 

Mrs.  Evans  blushed  crimson  in  deprecation 
of  her  friend's  rudeness,  but  Callie  promptly 
shook  her  head. 

"  Your  tastes  are  simply  ruinous,"  she  said 
gaily.  "Not  even  for  the  pleasure  of  having 


42  The  Pocket  Measure. 

you  to  lunch  with  me  can  I  be  guilty  of  such 
treason.  You  see  I  held  a  conference  with 
my  purse  before  I  started  from  home  this 
morning,  and  I  know  exactly  what  amount 
I  can  spend  to-day;  and  it  won't  include 
chicken  or  asparagus  or  strawberries." 

"Asparagus  is  good  for  digestion,"  said 
Jennie,  pouting. 

"So  is  a  clear  conscience,"  laughed  Callie, 
and  the  trio  separated. 


CHAPTER  III. 

CAKE    AND    BENEVOLENCE. 

RS.  Evans  stirred  her  coffee  with  an 
irresolute  air,  occasionally  studying 
that  portion  of  her  husband's  face  which 
could  be  seen  from  behind  the  morning 
paper.  She  had  that  to  say  to  him  which 
always  made  his  face  grow  more  or  less 
gloomy:  she  was  trying  to  decide  whether 
this  was  a  propitious  time,  though  daily 
growing  more  doubtful  as  to  whether  there 
would  ever  be  a  propitious  time  for  like  topics. 
Presently  determining  that,  whether  safe  or 
not,  it  must  be  done,  she  entered  her  hesitating 
interruption : 

"  Dane,  if  you  have  a    few    minutes  for  me, 
43 


44  The  Pocket  Measure. 

this  morning,  I  would  like  to  talk  with 
you." 

The  paper  dropped  promptly,  and  the 
husband  waited,  courteously  enough,  but  in 
silence,  and  with  a  face  that  told  of  habitual 
perplexity  in  some  direction,  perhaps  in  many. 

"  I  think  I  shall  be  obliged  to  have  a  little 
more  money  to-day ;  that  is,  if  we  bake  for 
the  festival.  The  ladies  are  going  around 
this  afternoon  to  see  what  each  one  will  do, 
and  I  suppose  I  shall  have  to  say  what  our 
part  will  be." 

"  I  thought  they  hadn't  decided  yet  whether 
to  have  a  festival  or  not." 

"  Well,  it  isn't  quite  decided ;  that  is  part 
of  the  work  of  the  committee,  this  afternoon, 
to  see  whether  the  people  approve  of  the 
festival,  and,  if  so,  what  they  will  give  to 
ward  it." 

"  Then  if  I  were  you  I  would  say  I  didn't 
approve.  I'm  sure  I  don't.  The  whole  thing 
is  a  first-class  nuisance  from  beginning  to  end. 
I  never  approved  of  that  way  of  doing  business, 
and  I  don't  change  my  opinion  as  I  grow 
older." 


Cake  and  Benevolence.  45 

And  the  husband,  who  could  not  have 
been  more  than  thirty  at  the  utmost,  albeit 
he  talked  so  wisely  about  "growing  older," 
drank  his  coffee  almost  scalding  hot,  and 
ate  his  steak  and  baked  potato  rapidly,  with 
a  gloomy  face. 

Yes,  but,  Dane,  I  don't  suppose  our 
opinion  will  be  asked;  in  fact,  they  have 
taken  it  for  granted  that  we  are  in  sym 
pathy  with  them ;  I  am  on  this  very  com 
mittee  for  soliciting  this  afternoon." 

'*  I  wouldn't  have  served ;  of  all  hateful 
business  that  a  woman  can  do,  I  should 
think  that  would  be  the  meanest.  Talk 
about  drudgery !  Td  rather  drudge  at  the 
wash-tub  all  day  if  I  were  a  woman  than  to 
tramp  all  day  through  dirty  streets,  stopping 
at  people's  houses,  begging  them  to  give ! 
I  shouldn't  say  you  were  suited  to  that 
sort  of  work." 

Mrs.  Evans  checked  a  troubled  little  sigh, 
and  tried  to  smile,  as  she  said : 

"  Oh,  well,  I  don't  suppose  I  will  need  to 
say  much ;  I  am  just  chosen  for  company. 
Mrs.  Bacon  is  to  go  with  me;  or,  rather,  I 


46  The  Pocket  Measure^ 

am  to  go  with  her.  She  is  a  good  solicitor 
they  say." 

The  gloomy-faced  husband  sneered.  "  I 
should  think  very  likely  she  would  be ;  she 
has  just  about  impudence  enough  for  such 
work.  'Well,  now,  Mr.  Evans,'  she  says 
to  me,  'don't  you  really  think  you  ought 
to  do  a  little  more,  for  the  sake  of  the  cause  ? ' 
For  the  sake  of  the  fiddlestick  !  As  if  a  man 
didn't  know  his  own  business,  without  having 
Mrs.  Bacon  trot  after  him  to  tell  him  of  it. 
She  cares  about  as  much  for  'the  cause,'  as 
her  yellow-haired  poodle  does.  I  wish,  if 
they  must  put  you  in  such  disagreeable  po 
sitions,  they  would  at  least  send  you  out  with 
a  woman  who  has  common  -sense.  It  is 
wretched  poor  policy  in  them  to  send  her,  if 
people  are  any  like  me ;  I  always  give  at 
least  twenty-five  cents  less  than  I  would  if 
anybody  else  asked  me.  How  came  they  to 
choose  you,  almost  a  stranger,  for  such  work  ? 
Wasn't  there  anybody  else  willing  to  be  im 
posed  upon?" 

This  time  Mrs.  Evans'  sigh  was  not  sup 
pressed. 


Cake  and  Benevolence.  47 

"I  hardly  knew  how  to  refuse,"  she  said 
at  length,  hesitatingly.  "  They  knew  I  had 
very  little  to  do  ;  in  fact,  they  mentioned  me 
as  one  who  had  leisure,  and  I  thought  perhaps 
I  might  help  a  little  in  that  way ;  I  always 
used  to  help  at*  home,  in  whatever  way  I 
could." 

"  Help ! "  Mr.  Evans'  voice  was  getting 
into  a  regular  growl.  "  Who  are  you  helping, 
pray?  Don't  get  into  the  habit  of  talking 
that  nonsense  about  'the  good  of  the  cause,' 
That  will  do  for  idiots  like  Mrs.  Bacon  to 
peep.  I  wish  to  goodness  there  was  a  church 
to  be  found  that  didn't  undertake  to  pay  its 
honest  debts  with  cake  !  I  believe  I'd  move  to 
morrow  and  go  into  its  vicinity.  I'm  tired 
of  this  eternal  begging  to  get  stuff  to  put 
into  people's  stomachs,  and  let  them  call  it 
benevolence.  I  would't  have  anything  to  do 
with  it,  Eva,  if  I  were  you." 

Mrs.  Evans'  naturally  pale  cheeks  were 
a  deep  crimson  now.  She  protested  earn 
estly  : 

"  But,  Dane,  how  can  I  help  it  ?  We  belong 
to  this  congregation,  and  I,  at  least,  am  pledged 


48  The  Pocket  Measure. 

to  do  what  I  can  for  its  support.  I  thought 
you  wanted  me  to  help  in  any  way  that  I 
could,  and  I  really  didn't  see  how  to  refuse." 

There  was  a  little  quiver  in  her  voice, 
such  as  always  subdued  the  tendency  to  growl 
in  her  husband's.  He  drank  his  coffee  more 
slowly. 

"  Oh,  of  course,"  he  said  at  last.  "  I  sup 
pose  3rou  are  in  for  it.  I'm  not  blaming  you 
Eva,  you  understand ;  but  I  hate  the  system, 
all  the  same.  So  do  all  honest  men;  that  is 
the  reason  I  hate  to  see  you  mixed  up  with 
it,  in  the  name  of  a  church,  tooJ  Well,  how 
much  money  must  you  have  ? " 

This  question  set  Mrs.  Evans'  to  cutting 
her  steak,  nervously,  into  little  bits. 

"I  don't  know  just  how  much  money  it 
takes  to  make  cake,  Dane.  But  we  are  out 
of  sugar,  and  the  butter  will  not  last,  if  I 
have  it .  used  for  cake,  too.  Then  I  shall 
need  eggs  and  raisins,  I  suppose,  or  flavoring 
of  some  sort.  I  never  calculated  the  price 
of  cake,  Dane ;  I  just  used  to  go  down  to  the 
kitchen  and  weigh  out  whatever  materials  I 
needed  and  make  my  cake,  without  any  re- 


Cake  and  Benevolence.  49 

gurd  to  expense,  so  I  don't  know  how  to 
plan." 

"  I  wish  women  ever  did  sit  down  and 
calculate  the  expense  of  cake.  They  would 
discover  that  it  is  an  awfully  extravagant  way 
to  be  benevolent;  but,  Eva,  how  does  it 
happen  that  we  are  out  of  sugar  again?  It 
can't  be  two  weeks  since  I  sent  up  that  great 
box  full!" 

The  fair  blue  eyes  were  swimming  in  tears, 
and  the  wife's  voice  was  half  choked  as  she 
answered ; 

"  I'm  sure  I  don't  know.  Kate  seems  to 
be  careful  with  the  sugar ;  but  we  have  been 
using  a  good  deal  of  fruit  lately,  you  know, 
since  Jennie  was  here,  and  puddings  and 
custards  take  a  great  deal,  it  seems ;  I  never 
used  to  think  so,  but,  they  do.  I  have  really 
tried  Dane,  to  look  after  it,  and  be  as  care 
ful  as  possible;  but  the  sugar  goes  in  spite 
of  me.  I'm  almost  discouraged." 

"  Poor  little  mouse ! "  with  an  attempt  at 
a  laugh.  "So  you  can't  keep  track  of  the 
sugar,  eh  ?  I  have  a  suspicion  that  your 
husband's  fondness  for  apples  baked  in  sugar 


50  The  Pocket  Measure. 

may  account  for  some  of  it.  Besides,  ants 
sometimes  make  havoc  with  sugar,  you  know ; 
this  time  I  think  it  is  cousins.  I  never  could 
quite  understand  how  Jennie  West  happened 
to  be  your  cousin  !  I'm  glad  it  is  two  removes  ; 
third  cousin  isn't  she  ?  " 

"Second,"  Mrs.  Evans  answered,  meekly. 
She  knew  her  husband  was  not  fond  of  Jennie. 

"  Well,  I  wish  you  could  teach  her  a  few 
lessons  in  common  politenes.  I  never  supposed 
it  was  etiquette  for  a  guest  to  arrange  the 
bill  of  fare.  When  is  she  coming  back  ? " 

"Not  until  next  week.  Shall  I  make  two 
cakes,  Dane,  or  would  you  say  you  could 
only  furnish  one  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  suppose  you  will  have  to  do  what 
the  rest  do.  If  they  say  two,  we  say  two ; 
that's  the  benevolence  of  it.  But,  now  seriously, 
Eva,  this  matter  must  be  carefully  considered. 
I  have  a  pretty  good  salary,  you  know  —  so 
called— and  there  are  only  two  of  us,  and 
yet  we  are  running  behind  all  the  time.  We 
went  to  housekeeping,  you  remember,  to 
save  money,  and  we  are  spending  it  as  fast 
again  as  when  we  were  boarding.  In  fact, 


Cake  and  Benevolence.  51 

we  are  spending  more  than  I  get;  running 
in  debt,  you  understand,  and  nothing  to  pay 
it  with,  unless  we  begin  to  save,  somewhere. 
I  don't  understand  these  things,  but  I  suppose 
you  women  do,  and  it  will  have  to  be  looked 
into  closely.  Kate  wastes,  I  presume  all  girls 
do.  At  least  that  is  what  Will  Coleman 
says  his  mother  says.  Will  by  the  way,  is 
wonderfully  interested  in  the  expenses  of  house 
keeping.  I  told  him  it  was  ten  times  cheaper 
to  board.  Now  my  dear,  I  hate  this  whole 
business;  I'd  like  to  feed  you  on  fruit-cake 
and  dress  you  in  silk  velvet  if  I  could,  but 
you  see  the  trouble  is  we  can't  do  what  we 
can't ;  either  for  ourselves,  or  for  others.  This 
cake  matter  must  be  attended  to  now,  I  sup 
pose,  but  when  we  have  a  little  time  we  must 
talk  it  over,  and  see  if  we  can't  think  our 
way  out,  before  another  festival  or  fair  or  some 
thing  of  the  sort  pounces  down  on  us.  As 
to  money,  I  haven't  but  two  dollars  to  my 
name.  I'll  give  you  one  of  them  and  send 
up  the  sugar  and  eggs  from  Bacon's.  I'll  tell 
him  to  charge  them  to  benevolence !  There 
comes  my  confounded  car.  We  .must  contrive 


52  The  Pocket  Measure. 

to  get  around  earlier  in  the  mornings.  Mind, 
I'm  not  blaming  you,  wifie ;  you  do  your 
best,  I  dare  say.  I  must  go  this  minute," 
and  he  bent  over  her  with  a  hasty  farewell 
kiss,  and  strode  through  the  dinning-room  in 
haste,  whistled  the  already  passed  car,  and  was 
off  for  the  day. 

Mrs.  Evans  sat  still  where  he  had  left  her ; 
stirring  the  fast  cooling  coffee,  pushed  her 
fork  into  the  untasted  bits  of  steak,  and  drew 
it  out  again,  and  presently  arose  from  her 
uneaten  breakfast,  touched  her  little  silver 
call-bell  for  Kate,  aud  walked  away  to  the 
sitting-room,  before  she  came,  to  hide  the 
flushed  face  and  tearful  eyes.  There  were 
unmistakable  tears  in  the  eyes  now.  It  seemed 
to  her  that  she  had  reached  the  extreme  limit 
of  endurance  in  this  matter.  It  was  all  so 
different  from  what  she  in  her  girlhood  days 
had  planned.  She  had  been  one  of  those  petted 
only  daughters  in  a  beautiful  home.  Father 
and  mother  had  vied  with  each  other  in  sur 
rounding  her  life  with  sunlight.  Her  tastes 
had  been  comparatively  simple,  her  ideas  quiet ; 
therefore  she  had  not  needed  what  people  of 


Cake  and  Benevolence.  53 

wealth  would  call  large  sums  of  money  with 
which  to  carry  out  her  plans.  So  to  her  mind 
money  had  always  been  plenty ;  she  had  only 
to  ask  for  what  she  wanted,  and  it  was  invari 
ably  forthcoming ;  given  with  a  smile  and  a 
kiss.  Her  father  was  not  wealthy,  he  was 
simply  well-to-do;  but  even  this  she  did  not 
know.  He  might  be  very  rich  for  all  she 
thought  about  it,  he  certainly  was  not  poor. 
It  was  with  her  in  all  her  relations  in  life 
exactly  as  she  had  explained  about  the  cake : 
when  she  had  wanted  to  do  anything  she 
did  it,  asking  no  questions,  giving  no  thought, 
as  to  expense.  She  had  been  benevolent  in 
a  sense ;  that  is,  she  had  taken  her  place  in 
the  church  work ;  not  as  a  leader,  she  was  not 
destined  by  nature  for  a  leader,  and  she  had 
not  grace  enough  to  assume  the  position,  but 
when  the  fairs  or  festivals  or  benevolent  as 
sociations  of  any  sort  sprang  into  periodical 
activity,  and  the  managers  thereof  talked 
"  cake,"  and  "  cream,"  and  "  oysters,"  or 
"  tidies,"  and  "  pin-cushions,"  and  "  toilet- 
sets,"  as  a  way  out  of  debt  or  into  opulence, 
she  unhesitatingly  and  sweetly  bore  her  share 


54  The  Pocket  Measure, 

of  the  burden ;  indeed,  hers  was  apt  to  be 
among  the  first  voices  to  sa}r: 

"  I  will  make  cake  ;  "  or,  "  We  can  furnish 
cream  at  our  house ; "  or,  "  You  can  use  our 
parlors."  All  these  things  were  pleasant  to 
her ;  were  in  no  sense  sacrifices ;  were  done 
spontaneously.  Giving,  as  a  matter  of  principle, 
she  knew  nothing  about;  and  yet,  like  so  many 
others,  she  thought  she  knew  all  about  it. 

Less  than  two  years  before  this  day  of  which 
I  am  telling  you,  the  pleasant  thread  of  life 
that  had  unraveled  so  smoothly  before  her 
suddenly  snapped  asunder ;  at  least  one  of  the 
main  strands  gave  out,  without  word  of  warn 
ing.  In  the  morning  the  father  went  awa}-, 
kissing  his  wife,  kissing  his  daughter  as  usual 
—  in  the  evening  he  lay  cold  and  silent  in  his 
parlor,  never  again  to  be  a  living  presence 
there  !  From  this  shock  the  gentle  mother 
never  rallied,  but  sank  almost  immediately  into 
a  state  of  invalidism ;  nurtured  and  lovingly 
thought  of  day  and  night  by  the  daughter, 
whose  purse  opened  lavishly,  as  usual,  to  supply 
her  needs,  until  one  morning  she  awoke  rudely 
to  the  frightful  fact  that  the  money  was  gone  ! 


Cake  and  Benevolence.  55 

The  well-to-do  man  of  business  had  been, 
like  many  another,  living  beyond  his  means, 
and  had  left  nothing  but  five  hundred  dollars 
in  cash  for  his  wife  and  child  to  live  on.  Even 
the  pretty  home  that  had  been  theirs  ever  since 
the  daughter  was  born  went  to  pay  the  out 
standing  debts.  As  for  the  five  hundred  dol 
lars,  it  melted  away  like  snow  in  spring-time, 
the  daughter  had  not  the  slightest  idea  where  ; 
she  had  never  been  taught  to  manage  money. 
Of  one  thing  she  was  glad,  at  least  she  came 
to  be  glad,  after  the  first  stunning  sense  of 
grief  was  over,  that  her  mother  had  no  need 
to  know  of  this  later  blow ;  she  sank  away  out 
of  life  sooner  than  any  had  feared  —  soon 
enough  to  fondly  suppose  that  she  left  her 
daughter  mistress  of  the  home  and  with  plenty 
of  money  at  her  disposal  as  heretofore  ;  and 
there  was  barely  enough  to  furnish  the  requi 
site  amount  of  crepe  and  pay  the  enormous 
bills  for  carriage  hire  ! 

All  of  these  sad  events,  hurrying  so  rapidly 
on  each  other,  had  in  their  turn  hastened  the 
marriage  of  the  daughter  to  the  enterprising 
young  clerk  of  the  firm  of  Briggs  &  Bo  wen 


56  The  Pocket  Measure. 

—  a  clerk  who  was  said  to  be  receiving  an  un 
usually  good  salary  for  a  man  of  his  years. 
And  his  young  wife,  if  she  had  thought  of  it 
at  all,  which  she  didn't,  would  have  imagined 
a  thousand  dollars  a  year  to  be  a  small  fortune. 
As  for  Dane  Evans,  he  was  the  sort  of  a  young 
man  who  knew  that  it  had  been  amply  sufficient 
for  his  wants,  therefore  it  would  do  very  well 
for  both  of  them. 

As  soon,  then,  as  the  customs  of  society 
would  admit  —  for  I  suppose  you  surmise  by 
this  time  that  these  people  were  both  of  the 
class  who  pay  careful  attention  to  the  customs 
of  society  —  they  were  married,  and  organized 
their  home  very  much  as  if  they  had  five  thou 
sand  a  year  to  depend  upon  instead  of  a 
thousand.  Their  first  rude  awakening  was 
the  discovery  that  the  fashionable  boarding- 
house  which  had  been  a  home  to  Mr.  Evans 
for  five  years  would  not  do  for  the  two ;  or, 
in  other  words,  that  twenty  dollars  a  week 
for '  board,  fuel  and  lights  extra,  was  simply 
not  to  be  thought  of.  They  went  higher  — 
not  in  price,  but  in  stairs  —  and  tried  sixteen 
dollars  a  week,  and  were  appalled  to  discover 


Cake  and  Benevolence.  57 

that  even  this  painful  reduction  left  them  in 
debt,  and  their  necessities  increasing  every 
hour !  What  was  to  be  done  ?  After  many 
talks,  and  some  tears  on  the  wife's  part,  at 
least,  they  concluded  to  try  housekeeping,  Eva 
being  sure  that  it  must  be  cheaper  a  great  deal, 
for  "  mamma  never  had  any  trouble."  At  that 
time  her  husband  was  too  young  and  too  fond 
a  husband  to  sneer,  but  he  smiled,  and  did 
not  remind  her  that  he  himself  was  only  a 
clerk,  while  her  father  was  at  least  supposed 
to  be  the  sole  owner  of  a  good  business. 

Then  began  a  wearisome  round  of  house  hunt 
ing.  Then  too  did  the  young  couple  take  their 
first  lesson  in  "  rents."  They  were  amazed  and 
utterly  dismayed  to  discover  that  the  whole 
salary  would  not  pay  for  what  they  were  pleased 
to  consider  a  suitable  house,  in  a  decent  neigh 
borhood.  They  tried  other  neighborhoods ;  they 
climbed  higher  and  higher  toward  the  limits  of 
the  city,  and  at  last  found,  fully  six  miles  away 
from  the  center,  the  queer  little  box  in  which 
they  now  lived.  That  was  the  husband's  name 
for  it,  and  certainly  to  them  both  it  was  unlike 
any  house  of  their  experience.  Yet  it  was  a 


58  The  Pocket  Measure. 

pretty  enough  house,  and  even  up  here  the 
price  to  be  paid  was  something  that  made  them 
give  doubtful  glances  at  each  other.  They  were 
growing  wiser  as  to  the  capabilities  of  a  thou 
sand  dollars  a  year.  Yet  not  much,  else  they 
would  never  have  spent  nearly  that  sum  in  fur 
nishing  the  house. 

The  young  husband,  who  had  been  receiving 
his  salary  of  a  thousand  dollars  for  five  years, 
had  in  the  days  of  his  bachelorhood  managed  to 
save  a  trifle  over  two  hundred  a  year,  and  con 
gratulated  himself  often  upon  being  a  thrifty 
fellow.  He  did  do  better  than  many  a  young 
man  of  his  acquaintance.  This  thousand,  care 
fully  invested  as  it  had  been,  was  drawn  out, 
and  furnished  the  rented  house  with  pretty  car 
pets  and  delicately  upholstered  furniture  for 
the  parlors  and  spare  chamber.  Eva,  the  wife, 
was  gifted  with  rare  taste  in  this  matter  of 
house  furnishing,  and  if  she  had  not  been  re 
stricted  in  means,  could  have  made  the  queer 
little  house  into  a  bower  of  beauty.  As  it  was, 
she  believed  herself  to  have  been  a  martyr  — 
she  had  crucified  her  tastes  in  a  dozen  particu 
lars.  She  had  studied  economy  until  her  fair- 


Cake  and  Benevolence.  59 

face  was  wrinkled  and  troubled ;  and  yet  the 
thousand  dollars  vanished  in  the  most  extra 
ordinary  manner !  Long  before  the  house  was 
completely  furnished  the  means  were  gone,  and, 
as  is  usual  in  such  cases,  it  was  the  kitchen  and 
the  every-day  living  rooms  that  had  to  suffer. 
Then  began  a  season  of  daily  struggles  with 
kitchen  expenses.  Sugars,  arid  teas,  and  coffees, 
and  oils,  and  meats,  and  coal,  and  all  the  long, 
long  list  of  necessities  I  Poor  Eva  wrestled 
with  them  and  tried  to  plan  and  save,  and  was 
afraid  of  her  girl  in  the  kitchen,  and  afraid  of 
her  pantry,  and  afraid  of  her  pocket-book,  and 
grew  to  hate  the  very  name  of  sugar ;  and  yet 
week  by  week  the  bills  and  expenses  increased, 
and  her  husband's  face  grew  graver,  and  his 
tones  were  growing,  occasionally,  a  trifle  sharp 
even  to  her ;  and  she  saw  no  way  out  of  the 
problem.  What  was  she  to  do  ?  Here  was  this 
fearful  church  supper  looming  up  before  her. 
When  had  she  ever  shrank  from  a  church  sup 
per  before?  She  hated  the  very  thought  of  it 
now,  and  this  thought  made  her  cheeks  glow 
with  shame.  She  hated  to  have  to  hate  such 
expenditures.  She  wanted  to  give,  to  be  benev- 


60  flie  Pocket  Measure. 

olent,  in  her  narrow  understanding  of  the  term. 
She  liked  to  be  able  to  smile  and  say,  "Oh, 
certainly,"  when  the  cake  or  coffee  question 
came  up.  It  made  her  blush  like  a  criminal  to 
think  that  possibly  the  time  was  coming  when 
she  really  must  say,  "  I  can't  afford  to  do  thus 
and  so."  Her  unfortunate  education  had  been 
that,  some  way,  it  was  a  confession  of  sin  to 
be  obliged  to  say,  "  I  can't  afford  it."  She  was 
learning  through  bitter  experience  to  look  ahead 
a  little.  She  had  pored  over  figures  enough 
lately  to  discover  that  even  going  on  as  they 
had  been  (and  she  could  not  see  how  it  was 
possible  for  them  to  live  on  less  than  they 
did),  would  plunge  them  into  debt.  She  saw 
that  Dane's  face  was  constantly  troubled ;  that 
he  shrank  from  any  conversation  or  suggestion 
that  would  involve  outlay ;  that  he  read  the 
morning  paper  a  great  deal  for  fear  she  would 
ask  him  for  money  for  dinner  or  to  pay  Kate ; 
it  seemed  to  the  poor  bewildered  wife  that  Kate 
was  always  needing  to  be  paid.  It  made  her 
wince  and  flush  to  take  the  three  dollars  weekly 
from  her  delicate,  gold-mounted  portmonnaie 
and  bestow  it  on  the  great  good-natured  Ger- 


Cake  and  Benevolence.  61 

man  who  daily  scorched  their  steak  and  served 
them  muddy  coffee.  Every  expenditure  made 
her  wince!  Her  second  cousin  Jennie  West, 
had  been  like  a  long  nightmare  to  her,  during 
the  ten  days  of  her  visit,  and  she  shivered  to 
think  of  her  coming  back  next  week.  She  rub 
bed  the  steam  made  by  her  breath  from  the 
window-pane  with  her  delicate  cambric  hand 
kerchief,  then  started  guiltily  to  see  the  soil, 
and  to  remember  that  even  that  little  act  had 
added  another  item  to  the  weekly  wash,  which 
was  another  of  her  trials.  Church  suppers 
looked  like  anything  but  interesting  inventions 
to  her,  and  there  was  no  use  to  wipe  the 
window-pane,  for  the  tears  were  falling  on  it 
thick  and  fast. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

CAKE   MATHEMATICALLY   CONSIDERED. 
W 

sr^ 

IE  WED  from  some  standpoints,  Mrs.  Har 
vey  Bacon  dressed  for  a  trip  to  secure 
contributions  with  which  to  carry  on  a 
church  festival,  for  the  purpose  of  paying  a 
church  debt,  was  a  curiosity.  As  she  waited  in 
Mrs.  Evans'  neat  little  parlor,  casting  pleased 
eyes  about  her  on  the  taste  everywhere  dis 
played,  .critical  eyes  also,  for  she  could  tell  to 
the  fraction  of  a  dollar  the  cost  of  every  article, 
an  interested  person  might  have  studied  her. 
She  was  arrayed  in  the  costliest  of  black  silks, 
carefully  made,  and  more  carefully  trimmed ; 
not  "  fussy "  by  any  means,  and,  indeed,  to  an 
unpracticed  eye,  I  am  not  sure  but  it  would 

62 


Cake  Mathematically  Considered.          63 

have  been  called  "  very  neat  and  plain."  If  you 
have  ever  heard  wise  gentlemen  discourse  on 
the  subject  of  dress,  selecting  the  individual 
whom  they  would  like  their  wives  to  copy,  you 
are  aware  that  they  are  apt  to  select  material  at 
four  dollars  a  yard,  and  lace  at  seven  or  eight, 
and  pronounce  the  toilet  "  very  neat  and  plain." 

Mrs.  Bacon's  outer  garments  matched  her 
dress ;  her  silk  mantle,  made  in  the  newest  style 
and  trimmed  without  regard  to  cost,  and  her 
delicate  spring  hat,  with  its  long  plumes  and  its 
broad  satin  ties,  were  entirely  in  keeping  with 
each  other,  and  the  whole  effect  was  pleasing  in 
the  extreme,  if  viewed  by  a  person  who  had  no 
occasion  to  think  of  dollars  and  cents  in  the 
same  connection.  She  gave  Mrs.  Evans  a  swift, 
critical  glance  as  she  came  down,  ready  for  the 
street,  and  was  satisfied.  There  was  nothing  in 
her  appearance  to  make  a  discord.  The  dress, 
it  is  true,  was  not  so  rich,  nor  the  sack  and  hat 
so  costly,  as  her  own,  but  they  were  rich  enough 
to  make  a  very  respectable  appearance,  and 
were  in  perfect  taste.  On  the  whole,  Mrs.  Ba 
con  was  pleased. 

"  I  hardly  know  where  to  call  first,"  she  re- 


64  The  Pocket  Measure. 

marked,  as  they  carefully  held  their  skirts  from 
contact  with  the  spring  mud,  and  crossed  the 
street,  preparatory  to  going  down  Green  Av 
enue.  "  I  suppose  it  is  not  worth  while  to  make 
any  stops  on  this  street,  scarcely  a  person  living 
here  is  able  to  contribute  anything  if  they  felt 
ever  so  much  disposed.  My  dear  Mrs.  Evans, 
how  came  you  to  locate  on  this  street?  The 
people  will  be  so  uncongenial  I  am  afraid ;  so 
unlike  what  you  must  have  been  accustomed  to. 
Don't  you  find  it  very  lonely  ?" 

Mrs.  Evans,  with  pink  cheeks,  explained  that 
she  had  done  very  well  during  the  short  time 
that  she  had  lived  there,  and  met  some  rather 
pleasant  people.  She  ignored  entirely  the  ques 
tion  as  to  the  reason  for  her  choice  of  residence; 
because  she  actually  had  not  the  moral  courage 
to  explain  that  the  lower  rents  had  been  the 
attraction  to  the  street ! 

"  I  am  sorry  you  live  up  so  far,"  explained 
her  companion ;  "  I  told  Mr.  Bacon  I  couldn't 
think  what  your  husband  meant  by  isolating 
you  so  from  us  all.  Why  nearly  all  our  set  live 
down  at  the  lower  end  of  Green  Avenue.  Such 
a  walk !  And,  during  the  calling  hours  of  the 


Cake  Mathematically  Considered.          65 

day,  there  is  never  a  car  along  at  the  right  time. 
I  had  to  wait  twenty  minutes  for  one  to-day.  I 
hope  you  haven't  taken  the  house  for  a  year,  as 
I  ani  almost  sure  you  will  want  to  get  further 
down  before  the  season  is  over." 

In  almost  trembling  haste,  Mrs.  Evans  assured 
her  that  they  had  leased  the  house  for  a  year. 
TKe  bare  thought  of  incurring  the  expense  of 
another  removal  was  appalling  to  her.  Then 
she  made  haste  to  change  the  subject. 

"  Mrs.  Bacon,  have  you  met  Mrs.  Spafford  ? 
They  have  quite  recently  moved  here,  I  believe, 
and  live  nearly  two  blocks  above  us.  Wouldn't 
it  be  well  for  us  to  call  there  before  going  to  the 
avenue?" 

"  Why,  would  you  call  there,  do  you  think  ?  " 
questioned  Mrs.  Bacon,  stopping  near  the  cor 
ner,  irresolutely.  "  I  have  heard  of  them  ;  and 
I  am  told  that  they  are  very  poor,  indeed.  Not 
even  the  necessities  of  life!  Sad,  isn't  it? 
Who  was  it  told  me  about  them  ?  Oh,  I  know ; 
your  cousin,  Miss  West,  was  telling  me  la&t 
week ;  we  were  walking  down  town  together, 
and  we  happened  to  meet  Mrs.  Spafford,  and  I 
was  remarking  upon  what  a  fine  walk  she  had  — 


66  The  Pocket  Measure. 

quite  as  though  she  belonged  to  the  cultured 
portion  of  society.  I  understood  Miss  West 
that  she  had  known  her  as  a  girl,  and  that  she 
was  quite  a  superior  person.  What  a  pity  it  is 
that  she  married  so  badly  !  Do  you  really  think 
it  is  worth  while  to  take  up  our  time  in  calling 
there  ?  " 

"  Why  !  "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Evans,  dismay*  as 
well  as  genuine  interest  in  her  tones.  "  Has  she 
married  badly  ?  I  did  not  know  it.  Is  her  hus 
band  dissipated  ?"  And  a  vision  of  the  bright 
face  that  had  beamed  on  her  so  hopefully  and 
cheerily  in  the  market,  overclouded  with  bitter 
sorrow,  came  upon  her,  calling  forth  sympathy. 

"  Oh,  dear,  no.  I  didn't  mean  in  that  sense. 
He  is  a  very  estimable  person,  I  believe.  At 
least  I  have  heard  so ;  but  I  really  don't  know 
much  about  him ;  but  he  is  only  a  clerk,  I 
mean,"  she  hastened  to  explain,  catching  a  sight 
of  the  crimson  cheeks  of  the  wife  of  the  clerk 
beside  her.  "  He  is  a  very  young  clerk  indeed, 
has  a  subordinate  position  and  a  meager  salary  — 
not  a  suitable  one  to  marry  on,  you  know ;  and 
really,  from  what  your  cousin  said,  I  shouldn't 
be  surprised  if  we  should  be  called  on  to  help 


Cake  Mathematically  Considered.          67 

them  before  long.  It  is  such  a  pity  that  people 
will  foolishly  throw  themselves  right  into  the 
responsibilities  of  life.  Miss  West  said  she 
never  felt  so  sorry  for  any  person  in  her  life  as 
she  did  when  she  met  Mrs.  Spafford,  one  day  in 
the  market,  struggling  to  buy  something  for  din 
ner.  She  said  she  had  to  twist  and  turn  in  order 
to  get  anything;  and  that  it  was  really  pitiable 
to  see  her,  for  she  had  been  used  to  better 
things." 

"  Jennie  talks  at  random  sometimes,"  re 
sponded  Mrs.  Evans,  speaking  quickly,  and 
feeling  ashamed  that  her  cousin  had  been  guilty 
of  talking  over  the  affairs  of  one  whom  she 
called  her  friend  to  a  comparative  stranger  like 
Mrs.  Bacon.  What  might  she  not  have  told 
that  worthy  lady  about  their  own  affairs  —  hers 
and  Dane's? 

"  Well,  said  Mrs.  Bacon',  still  irresolute,  tak 
ing  slow  steps  forward* "  perhaps  it  would  be 
as  well  to  call  on  her.  People  like  to  be  counted 
in,  even  when  they  can't  help  any  ;  and,  as  you 
say,  she  may  feel  hurt  if  we  pass  her  by." 

Had  Mrs.  Evans  said  that  ?  She  could  not 
remember  anything  of  the  sort.  Mrs.  Spafford 


68  The  Pocket  Measure. 

had  not  impressed  her  as  a  woman  who  would 
feel  hurt  over  the  fancied  slights  of  even  Mrs. 
Bacon. 

"  What  a  perfectly  comical  little  house ! " 
was  the  elder  lady's  exclamation  as  they  passed 
around  the  neat  grass-plat  that  led  to  Mrs. 
Spafford's  door.  "  It  really  doesn't  look  as 
though  there  were  room  for  even  two  children 
to  play  at  housekeeping.  Poor  thing!  What 
a  doleful  time  she  must  have  away  up  here,  if 
she  really  has  any  culture." 

The  "•  poor  thing "  looked  very  unlike  an 
object  of  pity.  She  answered  her  own  bell, 
appearing  at  the  door  in  a  neat  spring  suit  of 
delicate  design  and  careful  finish,  and  ushered 
them  into  her  bit  of  a  parlor,  with  evident 
pleasure  at  the  sight  of  their  faces. 

"I. was  wondering,  only  to-day,"  she  said, 
with  a  bright  look  bestowed  upon  Mrs.  Evans, 
"  whether  your  sense  of  hospitality  would  not 
lead  you  soon  to  call  on  me.  Jennie  promised 
to  bring  you,  I  remember  ;  she  is  not  with  you 
now  ?  " 

While  Mrs.  Evans  explained,  the  third  lady 
regarded  their  hostess,  with  wondering  eyes. 


Cake  Mathematically  Considered.          69 

"  Are  you  intimately  acquainted  with  Miss 
West  ?  "  she  asked  as  soon  as  opportunity  af 
forded. 

"  Oh,  yes,  we  were  intimate  in  school,  after 
the  manner  of  school-girls,  you  know.  We 
were  in  the  same  classes,  and  occasionally  ap 
peared  as  rivals  in  some  of  the  examinations. 
I  have  seen  but  little  of  her  since.  I  com 
menced  teaching  as  soon  as  I  graduated,  and 
Jennie  commenced  party-going,  and,  both  the 
occupations  proving  absorbing,  we  saw  each 
other  rarely." 

"A  poor  school-ma'am,  who  married  for  a 
home,"  was  Mrs.  Bacon's  mental  comment. 
"  Poor  thing ;  what  a  dismal  little  home  she 
has  secured  !  Though  I  must  say  she  has  done 
wonders  in  the  way  of  disposing  of  her  few 
things.  What  a  curious  parlor  ornament !  A 
jewel-case.  I  wonder  if  she  has  any  jewels 
to  put  in  it?" 

The  three  ladies  talked  pleasantly  together 
for  a  little,  Mrs.  Bacon  acknowledging  to  her 
self  that  the  unfortunate  woman  was  certainly 
a  person  of  a  good  deal  of  culture,  and,  finally, 
since  she  was  proving  herself  so  intelligent, 


70  The  Pocket  Measure. 

she  determined  to  broach  the  subject  of  the 
church  festival. 

"  Such  persons  often  help  a  great  deal  by 
their  executive  ability  and  their  skill  in  setting 
tables  and  the  like,"  she  told  herself,  before 
she  launched  forth. 

But  Mrs.  Spafford  proved  not  to  be  a  person 
easy  to  explain  things  to ;  she  developed  into 
an  animated  interrogation  point,  asking  ques 
tions  right  and  left  as  to  what  had  been  done 
in  the  past,  what  was  hoped  for  in  the  future, 
what  had  been  the  success  of  others  in  the 
same  line,  and  a  dozen  other  embarrassing  ques 
tions. 

"  What  is  the  debt  ?  "  she  inquired,  abruptly, 
at  the  close  of  a  long  sentence  from  Mrs.  Bacon 
about  "  sacrificing  for  the  good  of  the  cause." 
"  What  is  the  amount  ?  " 

"Why,"  said  Mrs.  Bacon,  with  an  embar 
rassed  little  laugh,  "  it  is  only  a  hundred  dollars, 
all  told  !  but  you  would  be  surprised  to  know 
how  long  it  has  hung  on  us.  You  see  the 
church  is  small,  and  by  no  means  wealthy. 
In  fact,  I  think  there  are  very  few  persons  in 
it  who  can  really  be  said  to  be  wealthy.  Mr. 


Cake  Mathematically  Considered.          71 

Bacon  and  I  are  from  the  Clark  Place  Church, 
and  you  may  imagine  it  is  a  change  to  us,  but 
we  thought  it  our  duty  to  cast  in  our  lot  here 
and  help  along  "what  we  could,  though  we  have 
never  taken  our  letters  from  the  Clark  Place 
Church,  and,  of  course,  have  to  help  there,  and 
can't  do  so  much  here ;  but  we  cheerfully  give 
our  mites." 

.  And  she  brushed  an  imaginary  particle  of 
dust  complacently  from  the  rich  silk,  and 
looked  the  picture  of  serene  benevolence,  wait 
ing  for  Mrs.  Spafford  to  state  her  ability  or 
inability  to  furnish  cake. 

"  How  much  money  do  you  hope  to  realize 
from  this  festival  ?  "  was  the  next  question. 

"  Well,  of  course  we  can '  not  estimate  much 
about  that;  we  have  a  very  fair  attendance 
generally,  and  sometimes  make  as  much  as 
—  well,  I've  known  us  to  clear  forty  dollars  in 
an  evening ;  but,  then,  we  are  not  apt  to  do 
as  well  as  that.  Ice-cream  is  so  expensive,  you 
know,  and  but  little  of  the  cream  is  donated; 
that  is  almost  as  scarce  an  article  as  money  in 
this  region.  I  should  say  if  we  cleared 


72  The  Pocket  Measure. 

thirty-five  dollars  we  were  doing  very  well; 
shouldn't  you  think  so,  Mrs.  Evans  ?  " 

And  Mrs.  Evans,  who  had  thought  nothing 
about  it  in  any  way,  save  to  feel  with  dismay 
that  she  must  bear  her  share  of  the  expense, 
whether  she  felt  able  or  not,  from  force  of 
habit  sweetly  acquiesced  in  this  statement. 

"  Thirty-five  dollars  net  ? "  was  the  next 
clear-cut  question.  "  I  mean  exclusive  of  all 
expenses,  cake,  time,  and  the  wear  and  tear, 
if -you  can  estimate  that." 

Mrs.  Bacon  arched  her  eyebrows  in  aston 
ishment. 

"  Why,  dear  me  !  "  she  said  at  last,  "  we  don't 
estimate  the  price  of  cake,  of  course ;  that  is 
a  freewill  offering ;  so,  indeed,  are  our  time  and 
strength;  we  don't  expect  to  be  paid  for  those." 

"  I  presume  not,"  spoken  with  dancing  eyes, 
"but,  as  a  business  matter,  you  expect  to  es 
timate  them,  and  discover,  how  much  you 
have  actually  made.  Of  course  it  takes  money 
to  make  cake,  and  of  course  if  I  can  afford 
to  make  cake,  I  can  afford  to  give  the  money 
outright  that  it  would  cost  to  make  it;  and  if, 
in  addition  to  that,  I  could  do  something  with 


Cake  Mathematically  Considered.          73 

my  time,  by  .which  I  could  increase  the  amount, 
it  behooves  me,  as  a  sensible,  business  woman, 
to  discover  how  much  net  profit  there  is  in 
the  enterprise." 

To  Mrs.  Bacon  this  was  certainly  a  new  way 
of  presenting  the  entire  subject.  So,  indeed,  it 
was  to  Mrs.  Evans.  She  looked  her  astonish 
ment,  mingled  with  genuine  interest  in  the 
matter,  and  was  betrayed  into  inquiring  fur 
ther. 

"  My  dear  Mrs.  Spafford,  don't  you  think 
there  are  some  people  who,  having  little  or  no 
money  to  give,  can,  by  making  cake  and  such 
things,  help  along  ?  " 

"  Cake  and  such  things  are  money,"  re 
plied  Mrs.  Spafford,  with  a  smile.  "  Therein 
lies  the  difficulty  in  my  opinion.  People  who 
unhesitatingly  tell  you  they  have  no  money 
to  give,  will  unhesitatingly  agree  to  furnish 
a  rich  cake,  or  an  unlimited  number  of  sand 
wiches,  without  seeming  to  have  an  idea  that 
they  have  thereby  furnished  money." 

"I  perceive  that  you  belong  to  the  class 
of  people  who  do  not  approve  of  social  gath 
erings  connected  with  the  church.  Of  course 


74  The  Pocket  Measure. 

we  were  not  aware  of  that,  or  we  should  not 
have  intruded." 

Mrs.  Bacon's  voice  reminded  one  just  a 
little  of  a  winter  day.  Her  hostess  turned 
toward  her  brightly  : 

"  Oh,  not  at  all.  On  the  contrary,  I  am 
one  who  thinks  the  church  is  not  social 
enough.  I  would  have  a  great  many  more 
gatherings  in  the  name  of  the  Church  and  for 
the  cause  of  Christ  than  there  are  now;  but 
I  thought  you  were  talking  about  paying  a 
church  debt,  and  the  quickest  and  easiest  way 
of  doing  it." 

*'  But  suppose  you  can  combine  the  two 
objects  ?  Is  there  any  harm  in  that  ? " 

"I  beg  pardon,  but  I  don't  believe  they 
combine  well.  People  never  succeed  in  being 
very  social  who  have  come  together  for  the 
purpose  of  making  money ;  and  the  people 
who  are  obliged  to  feel  that  they  have  con 
tributed  to  the  cause  only  by  eating  some 
of  the  cake  and  cream,  and  paying  a  fair 
price  for  the  same,  seem  never  to  be  able  to 
look  with  comfortable  consciences  on  the  affair, 
and  it  really  seems  to  me  a  waste  of  effort. 


Cake  Mathematically  Considered.          75 

I  have  often  helped  in  these  enterprises,  and 
we  almost  invariably  fell  short  of  the  amount 
we  had  hoped  to  make,  and  offended  one  or 
two  persons,  and  tired  ourselves  out,  and  went 
home  disheartened." 

This  was  so  entirely  Mrs.  Evans'  experience 
that  she  could  not  help  bestowing  a  smile  of 
approval  upon  the  bright-faced  lady.  While 
Mrs.  Bacon,  still  with  the  air  of  one  who 
had  been  defrauded  of  her  position  as  leading 
speaker,  asked : 

"  Pray,  how  would  you  raise  this  church  debt 
if  you  had  your  way  ?  " 

"  Well,"  said  Mrs.  Spafford,  briskly,  "  in  the 
first  place  I  should  make  an  estimate.  Wait, 
let  me  get  pencil  and  paper.  I  have  been  a 
school-teacher  for  so  long  that  I  am  very  fond 
of  actual  estimates  put  in  black  and  white. 
Now,  how  many  cakes  for  instance,  did  you 
propose  to  secure  ?  " 

"We  calculated  about  twenty,  I  think,  did 
we  not?"  was  Mrs.  Evans'  timid  appeal  to 
Mrs.  Bacon,  who  chose  to  maintain  a  dignified 
silence. 

"  Isn't  that  a   very   large   number  ? "    ques- 


76  The  Pocket  Measure. 

tioned  the  mathematician,  stopping,  her  pencil 
poised  in  air. 

Mrs.  Bacon  was  tempted  to  explain.  "  We 
are  liable  to  have  quite  a  large  attendance, 
and  our  young  people  are  apt  to  try  two 
or  three  kinds,  and  it  is  so  unpleasant  to  run 
out  of  cake  that  we  decided  to  secure  as 
many  as  that  number.  Some  of  the  committee 
always  stand  willing  to  buy  them  if  there  are 
any  left," 

"  Well,  twenty  cakes  then,  of  twenty  different 
people." 

"  Oh,  dear,  no !  We  haven't  more  than  ten 
people  on  whom  we  can  depend  in  the  matter 
of  cake  making.  It  is  by  no  means  a  large 
church,  Mrs.  Spafford." 

"  Very  well ;  ten  persons,  twenty  cakes. 
Of  what  sort,  Mrs.  Bacon?" 

"Well,"  said  that  lady,  growing  interested 
despite  her  determination  not  to  be,  "we  let 
each  person  make  what  she  chooses.  We  want 
nice  rich  cakes,  of  course,  and  that  is  gene 
rally  understood,  so  we  don't  dictate  as  to  the 
precise  kind." 

"  Frosted  ?  " 


Cake  Mathematically  Considered.          77 

"  Why,  yes,  generally  our  cakes  have  been 
frosted ;  they  look  prettier,  you  know,  for  a 
festival." 

"And  what  price  would  you  set  as  the 
valuation  of  each  cake  ?  " 

Then  the  two  ladies  looked  at  each  other 
doubtfully. 

"  I  haven't  the  least  idea,"  said  Mrs.  Evans, 
who,  nevertheless,  was  deeply  interested  in  the 
question,  being  anxious  to  know  whether  it 
would  be  possible  that  Dane  was  right,  and 
cake  was  an  "extravagant  way  of  being  be 
nevolent." 

"  I'm  sure  I  don't  know,"  said  Mrs.  Bacon, 
with  a  little  laugh.  "  Who  ever  heard  of 
estimating  the  cost  of  cake?" 

"  Oh,  I've  estimated  it  often,"  said  the  math 
ematician,  making  neat  little  figures  on  her 
paper,  "It  is  very  easily  calculated — the 
average  expense,  you  know.  Suppose  we  say 
half  a  pound  of  butter  to  a  cake.  That  is 
a  fair  average,  for  some  of  the  cake  makers 
will  be  sure  to  use  more,  and  some  less. 
Butter  is  forty  cents  a  pound  now,  so  we  have 
twenty  cents.  Next  we  have  eggs,  and  I 


78  The  Pocket  Measure. 

suppose  six  to  a  cake  is  as  low  an  average 
as  frosted  cake  will  admit  of;  or,  to  be  very 
economical,  shall  we  say  four?  Eggs  are 
somewhat  scarce  now,  you  know;  thirty  cents 
a  dozen ;  a  third  of  a  dozen,  ten  cents.  Now  the 
sugar.  I'm  always  amazed  at  the  way  sugar 
disappears !  It  is  such  insignificant  looking  stuff, 
and  costs  so  little  by  the  pound,  that  you 
think  it  is  hardly  worth  calculating ;  yet  most 
housekeepers  find  that  it  insists  on  being  cal 
culated." 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  said  Mrs.  Evans,  with  a 
sympathetic  laugh,  and  a  bitter  memory  of 
her  constantly  emptying  sugar-box. 

"Let  me  see,  frosting  takes  a  great  deal 
of  sugar,  and  pulverized  sugars  are  expensive. 
I  don't  think  that  allowing  ten  cents  for 
each  cake  is  too  much;  in  fact,  I'm  inclined 
to  think  it  is  hardly  enough,  but  we  want  to 
make  the  estimate  as  low  as  possible,  so  I'll 
put  it  ten.  Now,  counting  flour  and  flavor 
ing  and  milk,  do  3^0 u  really  believe  a  fairly 
good  cake  can  be  made  for  fifty  cents?  I 
don't." 

To    this    both    ladies  agreed,   and   each    of 


Cake  Mathematically  Considered.          79 

them  knew  so  much  or  so  little  about  money 
that  they  felt  slightly  triumphant.  Certainly 
fifty  cents  was  a  very  small  sum  to  give  for 
benevolence  I 

"  Very  well.  Then,  Mrs.  Evans,  if  you  make 
two  cakes  you  give  one  dollar  to  the  cause, 
counting  out  entirely  your  time  and  strength, 
which,  in  this  age  of  the  world,  should  cer 
tainly  be  worth  something  to  every  woman. 
Ten  other  ladies  do  the  same,  and  the  cake 
is  secured ;  then  come  the  coffee,  and  the 
cream,  and  the  sandwiches,  and  the  pickles, 
and  the  fruits,  and  so  forth,  and  ever  so  many 
other  'and  so  forths,'  besides  the  dishes  that 
will  certainly  get  broken  and  have  to  be  re 
placed,  and  the  dresses  that  will  be  sure  to 
get  stained  with  coffee  or  something.  That 
is  part  of  the  programme,  you  know,  to  tip 
something  over,  and  when  you  have  made  a 
conscientious  estimate  of  the  whole  matter, 
how  much  net  profit  have  you?" 


CHAPTER  V. 

INTERROGATION    POINTS. 

HEN  the  ladies  looked  at  each  other 
again.  Mrs.  Evans  could  not  resist  the 
temptation  to  laugh  a  little ;  she  had 
never  been  statistical  before,  and  she  was 
vaguely  surprised  and  a  good  deal  amused  that 
the  results  were  so  small. 

As  for  Mrs.  Bacon,  her  face  expressed  as 
much  annoyance  as  a  well-bred  face  allows 
itself  to  show  in  a  lady's  parlor.  It  is  possible 
that  she  had  been  brought  face  to  face  with 
inexorable  figures  before. 

"  I  think  I  must  be  obtuse,"  she  said,  speak 
ing  coldly :  "  but  I  fail  to  see  as  yet  any  plan 

80 


Interrogation  Points.  81 

proposed  by  which  more  can  be  raised  than 
we  can  secure  in  this  way." 

Mrs.  Spafford  laid  aside  her  pencil  and  paper. 

"I  beg  your  pardon,"  she  said  courteously. 
"  I  did  not  propose  to  interfere  with  your  plans ; 
I  was  talking  for  my  own  information  as  much 
as  anything ;  I  have  been  led  to  think  a  good 
deal  about  these  matters  of  late,  and  I  was 
wondering  whether  a  much  more  comfortable 
way  would  not  be  to  raise  the  money  at  once." 

"  Oh,  undoubtedly ;  you  need  not  fear  any 
opposition  as  to  that  opinion,"  Mrs.  Bacon 
said,  with  a  little  laugh  that  was  almost  dis 
agreeable.  "  I  assure  you  we  don't  bake  cake 
and  prepare  refreshments  merely  for  amuse 
ment;  we  are  capable  of  entertaining  ourselves 
in  pleasanter  ways.  We  would  very  much 
prefer  to  raise  the  money  outright  if  it  could 
be  done;  but  the  lamentable  fact  is  that  it 
can  not." 

"I  don't  see  why." 

Mrs.  Spafford  was  not  one  to  be  turned  aside 
from  her  purpose  by  a  bit  of  sarcasm.  What 
would  have  flushed  Mrs.  Evans'  cheek  and 


82  The  Pocket  Measure. 

hushed  her  voice,  only  roused  in  this  woman 
a  determination  to  prove  her  point. 

/'Now  let  me  suppose,  for  the  sake  of  the 
illustration,  that  you  have  twenty  ladies  who 
will  assist  in  getting  up  this  entertainment, 
at  an  expense  to  themselves,  exclusive  of  their 
time,  of  fifty  cents  each.  Is  that  sufficiently 
low,  Mrs.  Bacon  ?  " 

That  lady,  under  direct  appeal,  was  obliged 
to  admit  that  she  should  be  surprised  to  get 
off  with  so  little  personal  expenditure  as  that. 
"  That  is,"  she  added,  "  if  you  count  cake 
and  such  things.  I  have  never  been  accus 
tomed  to  taking  note  of  such  trifling  expen 
ditures." 

Whereupon  Mrs.  Evans  immediately  thought 
of  her  husband,  and  of  his  stormily  expressed 
wish  that  people  ever  would  calculate  such 
expenditures. 

"Then,  according  to  your  estimate,  some 
thing  of  this  sort  must  be  resorted  to  four  or 
five  times  before  the  amount  is  raised.  Now, 
why.  would  not  the  twenty  ladies  rather  pledge 
themselves  to  give,  say  fifty  cents  a  month, 


Interrogation  Points.  83 

for  ten  months,  and  save  their  strength  and 
their  dresses?" 

"  My  dear  madam,  I  am  afraid  you  are  a 
novice  in  church  work.  Mrs.  Evans,  how 
would  you  like  to  go  around  to  our  ladies 
and  make  such  a  bold  proposition  as  that? 
Wouldn't  you  be  afraid  of  being  told  that 
they  were  capable  of  expending  their  own 
mone}'  without  our  assistance  ?  " 

Mrs.  Evans'  cheeks  were  crimson,  and  she 
evidently  knew  not  what  answer  to  make,  so 
her  hostess,  feeling  sorry  for  her  came  to 
the  rescue. 

"I  don't  believe  she  is  afraid  of  any  such 
thing.  Surely  no  lady  would  be  guilty  of  such 
language.  Besides  it  is  really  a  trifle  less  than 
you  are  preparing  to  do,  if  I  understand  your 
mission.  You  propose  to  ask  the  ladies  to 
take  the  fifty  cents  and  spend  it  on  a  cake, 
and  spend  their  strength  in  making  it,  and 
then  come  and  wait  on  people  while  they  eat 
it !  Surely  my  proposition  is  the  simpler  of 
the  two." 

"But  then,  you  know,  we  only  ask  it  for 
once,"  ventured  Mrs.  Evans. 


84  The  Pocket  Measure. 

"  Ah,  yes  ;  but  that  doesn't  pay  the  debt  — 
doesn't  begin  to  pay  it;  and  of  course  their 
penetration  is  equal  to  seeing  that  they  will 
be  called  upon  again  and  again  in  the  same 
direction." 

But,  my  dear  Mrs.  Spafford,  you  don't  un 
derstand.  People  who  would  be  annoyed  by 
the  very  suggestion  that  they  ought  to  give 
money  will  bake  beautiful  cake  for  us ;  you 
see  they  don't  realize  that  it  is  the  same  as 
money,  and  so  they  are  willing  to  help  in  that 
way,  when  you  cannot  get  a  cent  of  money 
out  of  them." 

Mrs.  Spafford,  who  had  been  conducting  the 
conversation  up  to  this  point,  in  a  half  laughing 
way,  was  grave  enough  now  as  she  said,  gently : 

"Isn't  that  one  of  the  objections  to  these 
ways  of  raising  money?  Self-deceived  people 
who  have  never  given  much  thought  to  domes 
tic  economy,  are  led  into  cake-makings  that 
they  can  ill  afford,  under  the  mistaken  impres 
sion  that  they  are  giving  for  the  cause  of 
Christ ;  and  other  people  come  to  festivals  and 
buy  their  cake  and  cream  and  mats  and  tidies, 
under  the  mistaken  impression  that  they  are 


Interrogation  Points.  85 

giving  to  the  church,  when  in  reality  they  are 
receiving  a  full  and  fair  equivalent  for  their 
money.  Where  is  the  real  giviny  in  any  of 
these  plans?" 

"  Well,"  said  Mrs.  Bacon,  "  I'm  sure  I  don't 
profess  to  understand  all  these  nice  points. 
Mrs.  Evans  and  I  have  been  appointed  by  the 
church  to  do  its  drudgery,  and  I  suppose  we 
must  do  it,  leaving  to  you  school-teachers  the 
discussion  of  metaphysics." 

Mrs.  Spafford's  eyes  danced  mischievously ; 
her  caller's  ideas  regarding  metaphysics  were 
evidently  mixed.  But  she  saw  that  it  would 
be  wisdom  to  leave  the  subject. 

"  Well,"  she  said,  brightly,  "  I  didn't  mean 
to  discuss  domestic  economy,  or  church  econo 
mies  either,  when  I  commenced.  I  hope  you 
will  have  success  in  your  mission.  As  for 
myself,  I  will  bake  the  two  cakes  or  give  the 
dollar,  whichever  you  say.  Of  course,  as  a 
matter  of  economy,  I  would  rather  give  the 
dollar;  yet  I  am  willing  to  do  the  other  way 
if  it  will  please  }rou  better.  And  if  you  decide 
to  make  an  effort  for  the  money  instead  of  the 
cake,  you  may  count  me  as  one,  of  ladies  pledged 


86  The  Pocket  Measure. 

to  fifty  cents  a  month  for  ten  months.  Or, 
let  me  see  ;  you  are  paying  interest,  I  suppose  ? 
Then  we  ought  to  say  for  twelve  months ;  that 
would  cover  the  interest  and  leave  a  little  bit 
of  a  surplus  for  something  else." 

Then  she  turned  at  once  from  the  entire  sub 
ject,  and  began  to  question  in  regard  to  other 
matters.  What  sort  of  benevolent  work  was 
the  church  doing  ?  Had  they  a  sewing-society  ? 
She  saw  a  great  many  poorly-clad  children  as 
she  went  up  and  down  the  streets.  Were 
they  in  the  Sabbath-school  ?  Didn't  they  need 
clothing  ?  Were  their  parents  attending  any 
church?  Was  the  church  interested  in  home 
mission  work  ?  Were  the  prayer-meetings  well 
attended  ?  Had  they  a  ladies'  prayer-meeting  ? 
A  perfect  storm  of  questions. 

Mrs.  Evans  gave  up  the  slightest  attempt  at 
answer,  and  sat  a  silent  and  interested  listener, 
while  Mrs.  Bacon  attempted  to  impart  infor 
mation.  As  to  poo?  children,  there  were 
swarms  of  them  belonging  to  worthless  people 
for  whom  nothing  satisfactory  could  be  done. 
She  was  not  aware  that  any  organized  effort 
had  been  made  to  reach  them.  Oh,  dear,  no  I 


Interrogation  Points.  87 

The  parents  never  thought  of  attending  church. 
Home  mission  work  ?  Oh,  yes }  of  course  an 
annual  collection  was  taken  for  Home  Missions. 
She  really  didn't  know  how  much  was  contrib 
uted.  No,  it  wasn't  sent  to  any  special  field, 
so  far  as  she  knew  —  just  applied  for  the  gen 
eral  good.  A  ladies'  prayer-meeting?  No, 
their  ladies,  not  being  Quakers,  had  no  objec 
tion  to  attending  prayer-meeting  in  company 
with  their  husbands.  She  really  could  not  say 
whether  the  general  prayer-meeting  was  well 
attended  or  not ;  it  was  such  a  long  walk  for 
her,  and  Mr.  Bacon  was  so  late  in  getting  from 
the  city,  that  they  rarely  got  to  prayer-meeting. 
A  trifle  embarrassing  were  many  of  the  ques 
tions.  It  was  so  apparent  even  to  Mrs.  Bacon 
that,  efficient  woman  that  she  was,  when  put 
through  a  regular  course  of  cross-examination 
she  knew  very  little  about  the  practical  work 
of  the  church. 

"  Did  you  ever  hear  anything  like  it !  "  was 
her  exclamation  to  Mrs.  Evans,  almost  before 
their  hostess'  door  had  closed  after  them. 
"  Calculating  the  price  of  the  sugar  and  flour 
and  milk  that  are  used  in  cake !  She  must  be 


88  The  Pocket  Measure, 

a  mercenary  little  body  anyway ;  but  then  I 
suppose,  poor  thing,  her  circumstances  make  it 
necessary.  That  is  one  of  the  difficulties  insep 
arably  connected  with  poverty ;  people  grow  so 
small  in  their  reasonings,  narrow  down  their 
lives  to  such  trivial  calculations.  The  price  of 
a  cup  of  sugar  and  a  few  eggs.  Dear  me !  isn't 
it  depressing?" 

Mrs.  Evans'  answer  was  an  inarticulate  mur 
mur;  she  was  unaccountably  interested  in  the 
brisk  little  accountant  and  her  deft  figures. 

What  if  she  should  be  able  to  learn  of  this 
woman  so  as  to  make  figures  that  their  weekly 
expenses  would  come  within  the  week's  legiti 
mate  allowance,  and  so  remove  the  wrinkles 
from  Dane's  forehead  ?  If  she  thought  that,  she 
would  certainly  ask  to  become  her  pupil.  Think 
ing  it  over,  she  gained  courage  to  offer  a  timid 
demur. 

"  But  Mrs.  Bacon,  she  seemed  very  willing  to 
help,  after  all ;  and  was  as  liberal  as  most  peo 
ple.  You  know  she  said  she  would  pledge  her 
self  to  give  fifty  cents  a  month  until  the  debt 
was  paid.  I  don't  believe  we  could  find  a  great 
many  other  ladies  who  would  do  the  same." 


Interrogation  Points.  89 

Mrs.  Bacon  laughed: 

"She  doesn't  believe  we  would  either;  she 
is  entirely  safe  in  making  the  proposition.  That 
sort  of  giving  is  easy  ;  for  instance,  I  would 
just  as  soon  as  not  offer  to  be  one  of  fifty  to 
give  a  thousand  dollars  for  a  new  church  to  be 
built  this  season.  Do  you  suppose  I  would 
ever  be  called  upon  to  pay  it?" 

"  But  fifty  cents  a  month  isn't  so  very  much," 
said  Mrs.  Evans,  doubtfully ;  disturbed  by  the 
speciousness  of  the  illustration,  yet  unwilling 
to  give  Mrs.  Spafford  over  as  a  quick-witted 
hypocrite. 

"  Oh  no,  it  isn't  much  ;  it  sounds  like  a  very 
business-like  suggestion,  but  would  involve  end 
less  rounds  by  committees,  and  much  talking, 
and  amount  to  very  little  in  the  end.  Some  of 
us,  of  course,  will  have  to  give  a  great  deal 
more  than  that,  to  make  up  for  the  delinquen 
cies  of  others ;  but  as  I  said,  it  sounds  well ; 
besides,  teachers  are  so  accustomed  to  a  sort 
of  red-tape  arrangement  of  matters,  you  know, 
that  it  seems  to  them,  reasoning  from  their  nar 
row  spheres,  as  though  everything  in  life  could 


90  Pocket    Measure. 

be  reduced  to  figures  and  added  and  sub 
tracted." 

Poor  Mrs.  Evans  thought,  with  a  weary  sigh, 
that  almost  everything  in  her  life  had  been 
reduced  to  figures,  and  that  an  alarming  sub 
tracting  process  was  always  going  on,  but  she 
had  said  all  that  in  her  timidity  she  dared  to 
say  in  defense  of  Mrs.  SpafTord  ;  save  this, 
born  partly,  of  her  own  mental  wanderings  over 
the  matter,  and  partly  because  of  an  earnest 
desire  to  suppress  gossip : 

"  Cousin  Jennie  must  have  been  mistaken  in 
her  surmise  that  they  were  very  poor ;  for  she 
was  as  ready  to  make  the  cake,  or  give  its 
equivalent,  as  any  lady  could  be." 

"  Oh,  as  to  that,  I  don't  know ;  she  is  prob 
ably  one  who  has  resolved  to  make  as  good 
a  showing  as  she  can  out  of  nothing  ;  and  what 
she  lacks  in  funds,  make  up  in  argument. 
Some  people  will  do  almost  anything  to  main 
tain,  before  the  public,  a  position  that  is  not 
theirs  by  right." 

This  sentence  made  her  companion  wince 
inwardly;  truth  to  tell  she  was  sometimes 
troubled  with  grave  doubts  as  to  whether  she 


Interrogation  Point*.  91 

and  Dane  were  not  trying  to  do  that  very 
thing ;  and  she  wished,  within  her  weary  soul, 
that  she  could  find  her  own  level,  wherever  it 
was,  and  step  down  into  it  and  be  at  peace. 

But  she  went  home,  and  in  due  time  went 
into  her  kitchen,  and  measured  her  flour,  and 
weighed  her  butter  and  sugar,  and  beat  her 
eggs,  and  stirred  her  rich  compound  with  skill 
ful  hand ;  there  was  one  redeeming  feature 
about  cake,  she  knew  how  to  make  it.  She  felt 
almost  certain  of  the  result ;  her  practiced  eye 
could  tell  by  a  critical  glance  at  the  sticky 
compound  whether  there  was  just  flour  enough, 
or  whether  it  needed  a  trifle  more;  and  her 
practiced  hand  could  tell  by  the  very  "  feel " 
of  the  spoon  in  the  mass  whether  it  had  been 
stirred  to  just  the  right  degree  of  lightness. 

The  obnoxious  Kate  was  engaged  at  that  very 
hour  in  molding  the  bread,  and  as  she  looked 
with  doubtful  eyes  on  the  soggy  lump  that  Kate 
was  tossing  and  rolling,  and  thumping  her  red 
knuckles  into,  the  mistress  wished,  from  the 
depths  of  her  heart,  that  she  knew  as  much 
about  that  suspicious  looking  lump  as  she  did 
about  the  batter  before  her ;  she  felt  certain 


92  The  Pocket  Measure. 

that  the  results  of  such  knowledge  would  have 
brought  smiles  to  Dane's  face.  But,  alas !  she 
knew  nothing  about  bread ;  so  Kate  pounded 
away,  making  her  sour  mass  of  dough  grow 
every  minute  more  "soggy,"  and  the  skilled 
mistress  prepared  her  tins,  and  dropped  her 
batter  skillfully  into  it,  and  "felt  of"  the  heat 
in  the  oven,  still  with  a  practiced  hand,  and 
held  like  a  general  at  her  post,  through  all  the 
processes,  until  her  loaves  came  out  just  the 
requisite  shade  of  creamy  brown ;  then,  while 
Kate  went  to  the  cellar  for  coal,  she  hurriedly 
lifted  the  cloth  and  gave  a  surreptitious  glance 
at  the  lump  of  dough.  It  looked  discouraging 
and  smelled  uninviting,  and  she  turned  from 
it  sighing,  and  went  away. 

By  this  time  you  are  aware  that  the  project 
for  raising  the  money  without  the  cake  was 
not  carried  out.  In  fact,  it  was  not  considered 
for  a  moment.  I  am  not  sure  that  any  besides 
the  cake  committee  even  heard  of  it.  Mrs. 
Bacon  chose  not  to  say  anything  about  it,  and 
Mrs.  Evans  had  not  moral  courage  enough  to 
do  so  unhelped  by  others.  Therefore  Mrs. 


Interrogation  Points.  93 

Evans'   skillful    figures,    so   far  as    she  knew, 
dropped  uselessly  into  oblivion. 

It  was  not  so  ;  they  lingered  in  the  troubled 
young  housekeeper's  heart.  Her  perplexities 
did  not  lessen.  She  was  inclined  to  think, 
before  she  finished  her  rich  cake,  that  Mrs. 
Spafford's  estimate  had  been  entirely  too  low ; 
and  so  indeed  it  was,  for  her  individual  cake ; 
she  knew  nothing  about  averages.  The  weekly 
accounts  loomed  up  before  her  larger  than  ever ; 
the  wrinkles  in  her  husband's  forehead  seemed 
daily  to  grow,  and  he  studied  the  morning 
paper  more  industriously  and  conversed  less. 
The  festival  was  held,  and  Mrs.  Evans'  dishes 
were  lent  to  help  set  the  table,  and  two  of 
her  delicate  cups  were  dashed  into  fragments  ; 
she  had  not  the  courage  to  suggest  that  they 
be  replaced  before  the  pattern  became  obsolete ; 
besides  she  was  one  of  the  unfortunate  victims 
on  whom  the  traditional  cup  of  coffee  spilled, 
and  of  course  she  wore  to  the  festival  a  dress 
that  coffee  stains  hopelessly  ruined.  She 
looked  at  it  ruefully  —  one  of  her  bridal  stock 
of  dresses  —  and  calculated  what  it  would 
cost  to  replace  that  in  her  wardrobe,  and 


94  The  Pocket  Measure. 

her  eyes  opened  by  Mrs.  Spafford's  figures, 
she  could  not  help  sitting  down  and  deliberately 
calculating  how  much  she  could  have  paid 
toward  the  church  debt,  supposing  she  had 
known  that  two  of  her  cups  and  one  of  her 
dresses  were  to  be  added  to  the  cake,  and  was 
alarmed  at  the  sum  total ;  and  resolved,  then 
and  there,  that  at  the  very  first  opportunity 
she  would  certainly  learn  from  Mrs.  Spafford 
exactly  how  she  managed  both  the  house 
hold  expenses  and  the  cake  question ;  for  Mrs. 
Spafford  came  to  the  festival,  and  with  her 
came  two  cakes,  as  carefully  made,  and  as 
satisfactory  in  results,  as  were  Mrs.  Evans' 
own. 

She  belonged  to  the  class  of  workers  who, 
failing  in  leading  in  what  they  firmly  believe 
would  be  a  better  way,  are  able  gracefully 
to  drop  into  the  accepted  way,  doing  heartily 
their  share,  often  more  than  their  share,  even 
though  the  way  of  doing  it  is  not  of  their 
choosing ;  biding  their  time,  and  looking 
steadily  to  an  improved  future.  Such  people 
invariably  become  leaders  in  the  end. 

One  bit  of  information  did  Mrs.  Evans'  seek. 


Interrogation  Points.  95 

"  Do  you  know  Mr.  Spafford  ? "  she  asked 
her  husband,  on  one  of  those  mornings  when 
he  read  his  paper  less  than  usual. 

"  Spafford,  who  clerks  it  for  the  Holdens  ? 
Yes,  I  know  him  when  I  meet  him  on  the  street 
car.  We  have  never  been  formally  introduced, 
but  we  chat  together  coming  up ;  he  is  an 
intelligent  fellow ;  I  enjoy  talking  with 
him." 

"  Do    you  know  what  his  salary  is  ?  " 

This  question  was  timidly  put ;  whatever  had 
to  do  with  money,  either  directly  or  remotely, 
was  sure  to  bring  the  wrinkles.  They  came 
creeping  up  his  forehead  at  this  moment,  as 
he  answered  in  a  changed  tone  : 

"I  do,  to  a  penny;  he  gets  six  hundred 
dollars  a  year." 

"  Six  hundred !  " 

"  Exactly  that,  and  commenced  house 
keeping  on  a  surplus  of  two  hundred  and 
fifty,  which  he  had  saved,  goodness  knows 
how ;  and  doesn't  owe  a  penny ;  and  I  get 
a  thousand  a  year  and  run  behind  all  the 
time." 

"  Perhaps  his  wife  has  money  ?  " 


96  The  Pocket  Measure. 

This  was  Mrs.  Evans'  tremulous  suggestion 
and  at  that  moment  she  almost  felt  as  though 
she  would  sell  her  right  arm  for  the  sake  of 
being  a  wife  who  had  money. 

The  gloomy-faced  husband  shook  his  head 
Vigorously. 

"No,  she  hasn't;  I  knew  Carrie  Howell, 
by  reputation  at  least ;  she  supported  her 
mother  for  years,  and  was  considered  a  marvel 
for  the  way  in  which  she  managed.  People 
used  to  wonder  how  she  kept  herself  and 
her  mother  looking  so  trim  and  comfortable, 
and  their  little  home  sunny.  There  is  witch- 
work  about  some  people's  lives ;  I  never 
could  understand  it,  and  I  don't  want  to  try. 
Just  pass  me  that  paper,  please." 

And  he  gave  himself  to  the  stud}7  of  current 
items. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

A    SOCIAL  PROBLEM. 

BELIEVE  in  it,  Callie?" 

They  were  having  a  family  council  in 
the  evening.  The  wife  had  her  bit  of 
sewing,  in  which  she  was  now  and  then  taking 
stitches  while  she  talked,  and  the  husband,  as 
he  asked  the  question,  arose  and  walked  to  the 
window  to  throw  out  the  stump  of  a  cigar, 
smoke  from  which  still  curled  about  the  pretty 
parlor.  She  did  not  "  believe  in  that  "  at  least. 
It  had  been  a  surprise  to  her,  and  a  pain,  when 
she  had  discovered,  after  their  marriage,  that 
her  husband  "  occasionally  smoked  a  good 
cigar  ;  "  tHat  was  his  way  of  putting  it.  She 
had  not  known  quite  what  to  say,  so  had  said 
97 


98  The  Pocket  Measure. 

little,  until  a  day  or  two  after  the  serious  com 
pact  had  been  entered  into,  to  consecrate  their 
"  tenth  "  to  the  Lord.  Then  she  had,  half  play 
fully,  but  with  an  earnest  undertone  of  mean 
ing,  said  to  him : 

"  By  the  way,  Warren,  we  have  made  no  al 
lowance  for  cigars  in  our  schedule  of  expenses, 
and  yet  I  smell  the  odor  of  smoke,  how  is 
that?" 

And  he  had  flushed,  and  there  had  flashed 
over  his  face  and  manner  a  slight  touch  of 
haughtiness,  gone  the  next  instant,  as  he  ex 
plained  : 

"I  saved  the  amount  from  the  sum  allotted 
for  my  dinner,  Gallic.  I  found  I  would  rather 
have  the  cigar,  and  go  without  the  cup  of  coffee 
I  am  in  the  habit  of  taking.  Don't  be  afraid, 
dear ;  I  shall  not  break  our  compact  for  the 
sake  of  personal  indulgence." 

Then  she  hastened  to  explain  that  she  feared 
no  such  thing,  and  tried  to  impress  him  with 
the  belief  that  the  coffee  would  be  so  much 
better  for  him  than  the  cigar,  and  he  had 
laughed  and  assured  her  he  was  in  perfect 
health,  and  needed  no  coffee  for  a  stimulant ; 


A  Social  Problem.  99 

that  the  cigar  was  a  mere  habit,  company,  sort 
of;  he  cared  comparatively  little  for  it,  and 
should  never  be  tempted  to  inveterate  smoking  ; 
and  the  wife  had  believed  that  she  must  drop 
the  subject  and  bide  her  tune.  None  the  less 
did  she  disapprove  of  the  cigar.  It  was  rarely 
that  it  found  its  way  into  her  parlor,  but  the 
fact  that  it  appeared  there  at  all  showed  how 
entirely  ignorant  her  husband  was  of  her  true 
feeling  on  the  subject.  Meantime  she  answered 
his  question : 

"  Why,  yes,  I  believe  in  social  life.  Perhaps 
those  tilings  are  not  as  well  managed  as  they 
might  be,  but  I  have  always  recognized  the  im 
portance  of  the  social  element  in  society ; 
indeed,  it  has  seemed  to  me  that  we  were  not, 
as  Christians,  doing  half  that  we  might  in  that 
direction." 

"  Do  you  suppose  Christian  culture  is  at  the 
bottom  of  Mrs.  Bacon's  social  scheme  ? "  her 
husband  asked,  with  laughing  eyes.  "  Still," 
he  added,  answering  himself,  "  we  have  no  right 
to  pick  flaws  in  her  motives." 

"  Especially  when  they  are  plain  enough, 
picking,"  Mrs.  Spafford  answered ;  and 


100  The  Pocket  Measure. 

then  these  two,  who  understood  each  other  so 
well,  and  were  tempted  to  say  what  they  would 
not  allow  themselves' to  say,  laughed  at  their 
own  thoughts. 

The  fact  was  that  Mrs.  Bacon,  despite  the 
fatigues  following  upon  her  vigorous  efforts  to 
get  the  little  church  out  of  debt,  and  which, 
the  evening  proving  rainy,  had  resulted  in  a  net 
profit  of  only  twenty  dollars,  had  yet  rallied 
her  forces  and  resolved  to  give  an  evening  en 
tertainment  ;  a  select  affair,  attended  by  some 
of  her  down-town  friends.  To  this  entertain 
ment,  strangely  enough,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spafford 
were  invited.  They  had  exclaimed  over  the 
invitation  in  genuine  surprise,  but  had  refrained 
from  discussing  the  reasons  for  it.  They  each, 
however,  in  reviewing  the  matter,  had  arrived 
at  the  same  conclusion,  as  was  evidenced  by  the 
husband  saying,  gravely : 

"I  tell  you  what  it  is,  Callie,  it  is  a  lucky 
thing  for  us  that  Gen.  Ward  Howell  happens 
to  be  our  uncle !  Only,  it  will  necessitate  a 
new  necktie  just  as  sure  as  you  live." 

And  his  wife  had  flushed   over   Mrs.  Bacon's 


A  Social  Problem.  101 

motives,  and  laughed,  and  then  answered  .the 
reference  to  dress. 

"  Now  you  have  touched  upon  a  bewildering 
point.  It  doesn't  trouble  me  much,  just  now, 
because,  fortunately,  I  am  a  bride,  and  have  a 
toilet  that  will  do  very  well.  But  suppose  that 
these  entertainments  continue,  and  we  continue 
to  be  Gen.  Ward  Howell's  neice,  it  will  in 
volve  expense,  and  I  don't  see  how  we  are  to 
meet  expenses  of  that  sort." 

"  I  don't  either.  In  my  opinion,  we  shall 
have  to  remain  by  '  our  own  vine  and  fig-tree,' 
finding  our  pleasure  in  domestic  life.  That  is 
the  reason  why  I  asked  you  in  a  general  way, 
whether  you  believed  in  it;  not  exactly  in 
social  life,  but  in  our  ability  to  enter  into  it. 
Ought  we  not  to  commence  as  we  can  con 
tinue  ?  " 

"  I  think  so ;  and  for  that  very  reason  we 
should  arrange  for  some  social  gatherings.  We 
can  not  sit  down  like  hermits  at  home  ;  at  least 
I  suppose  we  have  no  right  to  ;  we  must  mingle 
with  other  people,  and  get  and  give ;  these 
phases  of  life  are  opportunities,  not  accidents, 
I  suppose." 


102  The  Pocket  Measure. 

Mr.  Spafford  surveyed  his  wife  thoughtfully 
for  a  moment,  and  then  answered : 

"  Upon  my  word,  Gallic,  I  believe  you  have 
a  different  way  of  looking  at  every  object  under 
the  sun  from  that  of  common  mortals.  Who, 
for  instance,  ever  dreamed  of  finding  a  duty 
in  party-going?  Save  the  class  of  people  to 
whom  Mrs.  Bacon  seems  to  belong,  who  make 
a  sort  of  affectation  of  the  term,  thrusting  it 
in  people's  faces  when  it  means  nothing ;  but 
I  thought  that  Christian  people  looked  upon 
these  things  as  bores  at  the  best,  that  must  be 
endured,  occasional^,  for  the  sake  of  courtesy 
or  custom,  or  something  of  that  sort." 

"I  don't  believe  I  look  upon  the  ordinary 
party,  with  its  dancing  and  card-playing,  as 
an  institution  which  a  Christian  is  ever  called 
upon  even  to  endure ;  but  I  do  look  upon 
social  gatherings  as  so  many  traps  that  may 
be  set  for  the  feet  of  the  young  and  gay ; 
good,  honest  traps,  I  mean,  by  means  of 
which  they  may  be  drawn  in,  from  time  to 
time,  to  the  family  of  Christ." 

I  regret  to  tell  you  that  Mr.  Spafford  an 
swered  this  remark  with  a  whistle. 


The  Social  Problem.  103 

"  How  many  people  do  you  suppose  go  to 
parties,  or  to  social  gatherings  of  any  sort,  with 
that  end  in  view  ? "  he  asked,  stopping  in  the 
midst  of  "  Hail  Columbia." 

"  I  am  a  Yankee,  Warren,  and  so  may  answer 
your  question  by  asking  another :  Do  you  think 
that  Christians,  whose  rule  of  life  reads,  '  What 
soever  ye  do,  do  all  to  the  glory  of  God,'  have 
any  right  to  go  to  social  gatherings,  or  any 
where  else,  separated  from  this  end?" 

"  Witness  declines  to  answer,"  said  Warren, 
with  becoming  gravity.  Then  —  "Well,  now, 
Gallic,  suppose,  for  the  sake  of  the  argument, 
that  I  am  convinced,  what  are  we  going  to  do 
about  this  cravat  and  glove  business  ?  Those 
two  articles  will  hardly  do  as  illustrations, 
either ;  it  will  come  to  coats  and  dresses  soon, 
because,  you  see,  I  know  enough  about  the 
question  to  understand  that  the  sort  of  dress 
which  will  do  for  ordinary  occasions  will  not 
do  for  these  social  gatherings." 

"I  don't  believe  that,"  she  said,  shaking  her 
head  earnestly.  "I  believe,  Warren  that 
Christian  people  of  today  ought  to  enter  the 
lists  resolved  to  battle  against  this  foe  to  social 


104  The  Pocket  Measure. 

life,  not  only,  but  Christian  life.  I  think  the 
great  trouble  in  our  churches,  or  no,  I  won't 
put  it  that  way,  one  of  the  troubles,  is  too 
much  dressing.  Why,  look  at  it  in  this  neigh 
borhood;  there  are  ever  so  many  nice,  respect 
able-looking  people  whom  we  don't  see  in 
church.  I  asked  Mrs.  Bacon  about  that  Burns 
family  only  last  evening,  and  she  said  :  *  Well, 
the  fact  is,  I  suspect  they  haven't  clothes  that 
they  think  suitable  to  wear  to  church.'  'Why  ! ' 
I  said,  'I  met  Mrs.  Burns  and  her  daughter 
on  the  street  yesterday,  and  they  were  very 
neatly  clothed.'  '  Oh,  neatly  ;  yes,  of  course ; 
they  are  quite  respectable  people ;  but  they 
are,  like  a  great  many  others,  poor  and  proud. 
If  they  can't  dress  as  well  as  the  rest,  they 
won't  come  to  church  at  all.  Such  sinful 
pride ! '  That  is  the  way  she  finished  the 
sentence,  but  it  set  me  to  thinking  afresh. 
No  doubt  it  is  sinful  pride,  but  I  came  home 
with  this  verse  running  continually  through 
my  mind :  '  Woe  unto  him  by  whom  the 
offence  cometh.'  Warren,  I  would  like  to  go 
to  this  gathering  of  Mrs.  Bacon's,  and  to  every 
other  gathering  which  we  decide  to  attend, 


The  /Social  Problem.  105 

dressed   as   simply   as   is   in   keeping   with  my 
ideas    of  neatness   and   propriety." 

"It  will  take  a  good  deal  of  moral  courage 
you  will  find,  little  woman.  Are  you  equal 
to  the  buzz  of  tongues  that  will  tell  in  con 
fidence  to  their  intimates:  'Don't  you  think 
that  Mrs.  Sp  afford  wore  a  calico  dress  to  the 
social  last  night!  They  must  be  dreadfully 
poor ! " 

"I  believe  I  am  equal  to  it,"  she  answered 
him,  laughing ;  "  especially  since  Gen.  Ward 
Howell  is  my  uncle ;  but  I  don't  intend  to 
wear  my  calico,  that  would  excite  unneces 
sary  remark.  I  have  a  nice  fresh  muslin, 
prettily  made,  and  as  simple  and  inexpensive 
as  it  well  can  be,  that  I  fancy  will  be  just 
the  thing." 

"  Then  you  won't  even  wear  your  black 
silk?" 

"  Too  warm.  These  June  days  seem  as  warm 
to  me  as  any  that  I  remember  in  August. 
Besides,  you  foolish  man,  when  shall  I  be  able 
to  have  another  black  silk  on  six  hundred  a 
year?  I  must  make  this  last  for  state  occa 
sions,  until  I  am  a  grandmother  at  least." 


106  The  Pocket  Measure. 

"Isn't  Mrs.  Bacon's  tea-party  a  state  occa 
sion  ?  " 

"  I  don't  mean  to  make  it  such.  She  as 
sured  me  it  was  a  quiet  little  affair,  just  a 
few  friends  to  spend  an  hour  or  two,  not  a 
party  at  all.  I  am  going  to  take  her  at  her 
word  and  dress  according^." 

"  I'll  venture  you  fifty  cents  that  you  will 
be  the  only  lady  there  out  of  rich  silks  and 
real  lace  and  things." 

"Very  well.  I  haven't  'real  lace  and 
things'  to  appear  in,  and  don't  expect  to 
have,  and  I  am  entirety  willing  to  appear  in 
what  I  have ;  but  what  about  your  neck-tie  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I'll  appear  in  the  old  one ;  it  will 
match  your  muslin  dress.  Shall  you  dispose 
of  the  glove  question  in  an  equally  econom 
ical  manner  ?  " 

"I  never  could  see  the  necessity  of  putting 
on  gloves  in  order  to  spend  a  social  evening 
with  one's  friends.  7  don't  mean  to  wear  any 
gloves." 

"  All  right ;  that  relieves  me  of  the  awful 
necessity  for  incasing  my  hands  in  them,  to 
say  nothing  of  the  joy  of  escaping  from  buying 


The  Social  Problem.  107 

them.  But,  my  dear  little  woman,  this  matter 
had  better  be  looked  at  from  all  sides,  now  that 
we  have  it  up.  What  do  you  think  of  "the 
propriety  of  accepting  these  invitations  from 
various  sources,  and  never  being  able  to  return 
them  ?  We  can't  give  parties,  you  know,  even 
such  quiet  and  inexpensive  affairs  as  your  friend 
Mrs.  Bacon  proposes."  This  last  with  a  gleam 
of  mischief  in  his  handsome  eyes.  "  What 
about  enjoying  the  hospitality  of  other  homes 
and  closing  our  own  ?  " 

"  I  don't  want  to  close  our  own,  Warren ;  do 
you  ?  Of  course  we  can't  give  parties  ;  at 
present  we  can't  even  have  a  dozen  friends  at 
once  to  take  tea  with  us,  because,"  with  a  gay 
little  laugh,  "  we  haven't  cups  enough.  But 
what  is  to  hinder  our  inviting  first  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  this  one,  and  then  Mr.  and  Mrs.  that  one, 
to  take  a  dish  of  tea  with  us  ?  We  have 
good  bread  and  butter,  and  in  fruit-time  that 
is  as  inexpensive  as  anything;  and  I  can  even 
make  some  of  the  all-important  cake  occasion 
ally  ;  and  I  think  our  friends  would  enjoy 
meeting  us  in  that  way  ever  so  much." 

"Callie,  my  child,  do  you.  really  mean  that 


108  The  Pocket  Measure. 

you  ever  contemplate  inviting  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Bacon,  for  instance,  to  take  some  bread  and 
butter  and  tea  with  us?" 

"  Why  not  ?  If,  on  acquaintance,  it  seems 
to  me  that  she  would  enjoy  such  a  quiet  little 
bit  of  home  life  as  that,  and  we  would  enjoy 
giving  it  to  her,  why  should  we  not?  The 
idea  that  obtains  in  some  circles  of  being  in 
debted  to  this  or  that  one  for  hospitality,  was 
always  a  distasteful  one  to  me,  making  a  sort 
of  barter  of  social  life.  I  want  to  entertain 
my  friends  as  often  as  I  can,  and  as  well 
as  I  consistently  can.  If  they  entertain  me 
oftener,  and  in  a  better  manner,  why  I  shall 
enjoy  it  gratefully,  without  keeping  account 
of  the  difference  in  expense." 

Mr.  Spafford  seemed  to  feel  that  there  was 
no  way  of  expressing  his  feelings  better  than 
by  resorting  to  "  Hail  Columbia "  again,  and 
finishing  the  bar  he  was  whistling,  he  closed  it 
with  a  laugh,  and  went  to  fasten  the  kitchen 
door,  preparatory  to  ascending  the  stairs  for 
the  night. 

"Warren,"  his  wife  said  to  him,  rising  and 
going  forward  to  meet  him  as  he  returned, 


The  Social  Problem.  109 

"  you  have  laughed  and  whistled,  but  I  wonder 
if  you  know  that  you  haven't  expressed  an 
opinion  on  the  entire  subject.  Won't  you  tell 
me  what  you  think?  Do  you  believe  all  this 
is  as  visionary  as  your  whistling  would  seem 
to  indicate?  Don't  you  think  that  we,  as 
Christians,  and  as  poor  Christians,  can  have 
our  place  in  social  life,  and  meet  our  friends, 
and  contribute  our  share  to  their  enjoyment 
and  get  their  help  ?  " 

He  was  a  tall  man,  and  she  was  a  little 
woman.  He  had  a  way  of  putting  his  hands 
on  her  shoulders  and  looking  down  into  her 
eyes.  He  placed  his  hands  so  at  this  time, 
and  in  the  handsome  brown  eyes,  mischievous 
eyes,  dancing  half  the  time  with  a  sense  of 
the  irresistibly  comical,  there  was  more  feeling 
expressed  than  that  of  mere  amusement  now. 

"Callie,"  he  said,  "dear  little  wifie,  I'll  tell 
you  what  I  believe ;  I  believe  in  you,  heartily, 
and  in  your  religion.  Some  of  your  ideas  are 
new  to  me.  and  I  won't  deny  are  startling.  I 
am  by  no  means  sure  that  you  can  bring  other 
people — any  other  people,  mind  3-011  —  to  your 
way  of  thinking.  I  have  an  idea  that  when 


110  The  Pocket  Measure. 

you  assail  the  customs  of  society  as  regards  dress 
aiid  entertainments,  you  touch  very  tender 
points  —  come  close  to  hearts,  women's  hearts, 
anyhow.  But  I  like  the  fun  of  trying  it.  I'm 
with  you  heartily.  There  is  a  dash  of  the  ro 
mantic  about  me  that  makes  anything  like  a 
sensation  especially  agreeable.  We  will  go  to 
this  'quiet  little  gathering'  in  muslin,  and 
gloveless,  and  do  our  best." 

As  they  went  up  the  stairs  they  severally 
thought  this : 

"  I  wonder,"  deep  down  in  the  wife's  heart, 
where  there  quivered  a  little  sigh,  "  if  Warren 
really  means  that  all  these  things  are  simply 
funny  to  him,  and  he  sees  no  underlying 
principle  in  them,  nor  cares  for  them,  except 
as  they  suggest  a  sensation  ? " 

He   on   his   part: 

"  Grand  little  woman !  trying  to  make  be 
lieve  that  her  struggle  to  hold  her  own  in  the 
society  in  which  she  is  calculated  to  shine 
is  a  matter  of  principle,  and  has  nothing  to 
do  with  her  having  married  a  poor  clerk.  I 
would  like  to  shield  her  alike  from  the  pity 
and  the  sneers  of  the  miserable  world;  but, 


The  Social  Problem.  Ill 

since  she  is  too  brave  to  be  shielded,  we  will 
make  believe  it  is  all  a  play,  and  push 
through." 

And  he  actually  thought  it  was  all  because 
they  were  poor ! 

Mrs.  Bacon's  "little  gathering"  was  the 
subject  of  talk  and  thought  in  other  homes ; 
and  that  other  subject,  the  attire  in  which  to 
appear,  also  claimed  attention. 

In  Mrs.  Evans'  home  the  whole  matter  was 
productive  of  pain.  She,  too,  was  a  bride  of 
not  many  months'  standing,  and  the  one  rich 
silk,  which,  poor  as  she  was,  had  seemed  to 
her  an  indispensable  accessory  of  marriage, 
would  still  serve  her  as  an  elegant  dress.  She 
thought  of  it  with  complacency  and  brought 
it  forth.  But  when  was  a  dress  laid  aside  by 
even  a  moderately  fashionable  lady  for  a  few 
months'  time  without  there  occurring  changes 
that  involved  letting  out  this  loop  and  pucker 
ing  in  that?  Mrs.  Evans'  dress  proved  no 
exception ;  it  had  to  go  to  a  fashionable  dress 
maker's  to  be  puckered ;  its  mistress  knew  no 
other.  She  had  spent  her  year  of  mourning 
at  an  uncle's  house,  and  been  married  from 


112  The  Pocket  Measure. 

that  home ;  the  uncle,  with  an  expensive  fam 
ily  to  support,  had  done  for  her  what  he  could  ; 
namely,  given  her  an  elegant  wedding,  and 
as  showy  an  outfit  as  he  had  dared,  and  the 
benefit  of  his  elegant  wife's  and  grown-up 
daughters'  expensive  advice  and  habits.  So 
by  nature  and  education  Mrs.  Dane  Evans  knew 
exactly  how  the  silk  should  look  in  order  to 
be  elegant,  and  exactly  where  to  go  to  have 
the  elegance  added ;  also,  she  knew  and  thought 
of  it  with  bitterness,  just  what  the  bill  would 
be  likely  to  read,  especially  when  it  became 
necessary,  according  to  the  decrees  of  fashion, 
to  have  the  arrangement  of  the  lace  trimming 
altered,  and  to  add  a  yard  and  a  half  more  to 
the  original  pattern.  Several  other  very  little 
additions  became  necessary  to  the  eyes  of  the 
artist,  and  when  the  reconstructed  fabric  came 
home  its  owner  surveyed  it  with  a  curious 
mixture  of  satisfaction  and  dismay.  If  only 
the  bill  for  the  same  did  not  lie  on  the  bed 
beside  it.  How  could  it  cost  so  ruinousl}*  just 
to  make  a  few  little  alterations  in  a  dress! 

Then   came   the   question   of    gloves.      Mrs. 
Evans    no    more  thought  of    going  to  the  lit- 


The  Social  Problem.  113 

tie  gathering  with  ungloved  hands  than  she 
thought  of  going  in  blue  and  white  muslin,  and 
her  tormentor,  Jennie  West,  having  completed 
her  visit  elsewhere,  was  by  her  side  to  exclaim 
as  to  what  could  and  could  not  be  tolerated; 
altogether,  taking  into  consideration  the  dis 
comfort  of  Dane,  the  new  wrinkles  that  would 
undoubtedly  gather  about  his  forehead,  the 
gloom  that  would  be  a  family  guest  for  weeks 
perhaps,  as  the  result  of  those  bills,  and  the 
memory  of  the  blush  of  shame  that  arose  to 
her  cheek  when  she  asked  the  dressmaker  to 
be  kind  enough  to  wait  a  few  weeks  till  another 
installment  of  her  husband's  salary  was  due, 
Mrs.  Evans  attired  herself  for  the  gathering 
with  a  heavy  heart.  She  was  not  comforted 
by  the  fact  that  Dane  pronounced  the  whole 
affair  a  "  confounded  nuisance,"  and  refused  to 
get  any  new  gloves  for  himself  until  two  hours 
before  the  time  for  starting.  To  be  sure,  he 
bought  them  at  last.  Unfortunately,  Dane 
Evans  was  one  who,  like  his  wife,  recognized 
the  necessity  of  doing  as  other  people  did. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

MEASURING  BRAINS  AND  HEARTS. 

happened  that  the  little  woman  in 
the  pale  blue  and  white  muslin  found 
herself  at  the  small  social  gathering  in 
a  position  not  to  be  envied  by  most  ladies. 
She  had  accepted  Mrs.  Bacon's  statements 
in  reference  to  the  nature  of  her  entertainment 
with  more  literalness  than  the  result  justi 
fied.  The  spacious  parlors  were  quite  well 
filled,  and  the  larger  number  of  the  ladies 
were  dressed  as  they  would  be  for  a  fashionable 
party  down  town.  It  made  the  blue  muslin 
very  conspicuous.  The  wearer  felt  that  she 
would  either  have  compromised  with  the  black 
silk  dress,  or  remained  at  home,  had  she  un- 
114 


Measuring  Brains  and  Hearts.          115 

derstood.  I  do  not  wish  you  to  understand 
that  she  was  miserable;  what  would  have 
sent  poor  Mrs.  Evans  home  with  a  nervous 
headache,  and  have  held  her  for  three  days 
in  alternate  fits  of  weeping  and  indignation 
over  the  trials  of  poverty,  only  brought  a 
heightened  blush  to  Mrs.  Spafford's  cheeks. 
Still,  no  lady  likes  to  consider  herself  the 
subject  of  curious  remark,  and  for  the  first 
half  hour  it  was  hard  for  my  friend  to  put 
away  from  her  the  pleasant  occupation  of 
contrasting  the  blue  muslin  with  the  delicate 
lavender  and  fawn  and  ecru  silks  that  shim 
mered  around  her. 

"Am  I  really  not  above  this  sort  of  thing?" 
she  asked  herself,  at  last,  in  astonishment 
and  indignation.  "Am  I  so  accustomed  to 
judging  of  others  by  their  dress  that  I  must 
needs  conclude  that  their  only  estimate  of  me 
is  by  the  cost  of  the  clothes  I  wear  ? "  and  she 
resolutely  resolved  to  interest  herself  so 
speedily  in  somebody  or  something  that  her 
thoughts  would  be  diverted  from  this  un 
healthy  channel.  It  was  not  easy  to  do ; 
she  found  herself  in  a  new  atmosphere.  As 


116  The  Pocket  Measure. 

a  teacher,  and  as  a  niece  of  the  well-known 
Gen.  Howell,  she  had  moved  in  what  was 
called  good  society ;  had  been  accustomed 
to  meeting  people  of  refinement  and  culture ; 
people  who  attended  lectures  and  bought 
books  and  read  them,  and  read  reviews  and 
discussed  them,  and  kept  reasonably  well 
posted  as  to  what  was  going  on  in  the  literary 
world,  both  at  home  and  abroad.  People 
who  dressed  well  they  were,  too,  and  yet  who 
much  affected  that  form  of  dressing  which 
is  liable  to  pass  unnoticed,  because  it  quietly 
fits  into  the  general  whole. 

Mrs.  Spafford,  sitting  over  on  the  low 
couch  between  the  windows,  tried  critically 
to  study  the  difference  between  the  two  poles 
of  society,  for  they  really  seemed  to  her  as 
far  apart  as  that.  These  people  talked,  and 
talked  well ;  that  is.  they  used  refined  language 
and  well-sounding  phrases,  but  there  Avas  a 
curiously  superficial  tone  to  it  all.  She  men 
tioned  books  of  which  she  was  confident  they 
had  never  heard.  She  advanced  opinions 
which  were  met  with  a  well-bred  stare,  or, 
at  the  utmost,  with  a  bewildered  bow ;  yet 


Measuring  Brains  and  Hearts.  117 

they  talked  glibly  of  the  last  matinee,  and 
what  a  divine  voice  the  latest  musical  favorite 
had,  and  how  perfectly  exquisite  the  collec 
tion  of  paintings  was  at  the  recent  Exposition. 
Yet  did  she  attempt  to  individualize  paintings, 
and  discover  which  school,  or  class  of  studies,  or 
varieties  of  landscape,  form,  color,  or  style,  were 
considered  the  more  "  exquisite,"  she  was 
met  with  that  bewildered  look  and  half-doubt 
ing  assent  which  may  mean  almost  dissent, 
so  undefined  is  it. 

In  the  world  of  books  it  was  much  worse ; 
she  could  not  be  sure  that  those  with  whom  she 
chanced  to  talk  had  read  anything,  or  were 
informed  beyond  the  mere  titles  of  certain, 
not  so  recent,  publications;  the  authors  of 
those  might  be  foreign  or  American,  male  or 
female,  for  all  knowledge  that  one  could  gain 
on  the  subject  by  talking  with  those  who  had 
heard  of  them. 

Mrs.  Spafford  found  herself  bewildered. 
These  ladies  —  some  of  them  —  talked  freely 
with  each  other,  and  laughed  much,  and  seemed 
to  be  enjoying  themselves ;  but  the  subject  was 
always  something  that  she  did  not  quite  under- 


118  The  Pocket  Measure. 

stand,  and  that  they  seemed  incapable  of  ex 
plaining.  Nearly  all  of  them  were  strangers 
to  her,  most  of  them  being  those  who  had  pat- 
ionized  the  festival  more  by  eating  its  cake 
and  oysters  than  by  actual  hand-to-hand  help. 
Others  of  them  being,  indeed,  from  the  city  in 
which  she  had  spent  the  last  seven  years  of 
her  life,  yet  being  as  utterly  unknown  to  her, 
personally,  as  though  they  had  occupied  sepa 
rate  worlds.  Jennie  West,  her  schoolmate, 
was  present  it  is  true,  but  she  was  constantly 
the  centre  of  an  animated  group  of  young 
ladies  and  gentlemen  who  held  themselves  en 
tirely  aloof  from  the  married  portion  of  the 
company,  and  had  much  merriment  and  much 
chatter  among  themselves. 

Mr.  Spafford,  manlike,  had  found  speedily  a 
pleasant  centre  among  certain  men  whom  he 
met  constantly  in  business  life,  men  who  gave 
no  attention  personally  to  the  distinctions  of 
society,  therefore  he  felt  at  home,  and  was 
evidently  enjoying  the  evening.  Again  and 
again  did  our  bright-hearted  little  woman  try 
to  rouse  and  throw  hei'self  into  the  whirlpool 
of  talk  about  her  as  one  who  was  interested, 


Measuring  Brains  and  Hearts.          119 

and  had  something  to  contribute.  It  seemed 
all  in  vain ;  she  even  realized  that  she  hushed 
the  flow  of  talk  on  one  or  two  occasions  by 
attempting  to  join.  Was  it  the  effect  of  her 
blue  muslin  ?  Back  to  that  again  ! 

Mortified  with  herself,  and  with  the  failure 
that  she  was  making  of  the  evening,  she  sud 
denly  leaned  forward,  ostensibly  to  caress  a 
sweet-scented  vine  that  was  reaching  up  to 
look  in  at  the  window,  but  really  with  one 
hand  touching  that  and  the  other  carried  for 
a  moment  to  her  eyes,  she  sought  refuge  from 
her  tormenting  self,  or,  as  she  was  fond  of 
expressing  it  herself,  she  ran  to  her  hiding-place. 
The  Lord  Jesus  had  been  invited  to  accompany 
her  to  that  entertainment ;  she  had  come  in 
good  faith,  believing  that  he  would  be  her  com 
panion  and  familiar  friend  ;  it  might  be  that 
she  had  mistaken  the  surroundings;  it  might 
be  that  the  atmosphere  was  not  a  congenial  one 
for  him ;  yet  surely  he  would  abide  with  her, 
and  help  her  in  honest  effort  to  serve  him 
even  here.  She  leaned  back  again  presently, 
and  welcomed  with  a  bright  smile,  the  young 
man  Will  Coleman  to  her  side.  It  seemed 


120  The  Pocket  Measure, 

a  good  omen  that  the  first  to  come  to  her  after 
this  struggle  should  be  Will,  for  she  had  been 
seeking  an  opportunity  to  talk  with  him. 

"  You  are  not  social,"  she  said,  cheerily,  "at 
least  not  with  us ;  you  have  never  been  to  see 
us  in  our  new  home." 

"  I'm  coming,  though,  he  answered.  "  My 
good  intentions  in  that  line  have  been  sadly 
interfered  with,  but  I  am  on  my  way.  I  don't 
suppose  you  could  imagine  how  anxious  I  am 
to  see  you  keeping  house.  I  can't  get  over 
the  queerness  of  the  idea  that  you  are  actually 
a  married  woman,  settled  down  in  life.  How 
does  it  seem  ?  " 

A  close  observer  would  have  detected  an 
undertone  of  anxiety,  or  at  least  a  most  un 
usual  interest  in  the  experiment  of  house 
keeping. 

"  Why,  it  seems  just  what  it  always  does  to 
every  happy  woman,  a  delightful  spot,  and  a 
satisfying  life." 

"Do  you  really  believe  that?"  There  was 
visible  eagerness  in  his  tone  now.  "  There  is 
such  a  difference  in  women ;  most  of  them 
seem  to  me  of  the  stamp  who  could  not  be 


Measuring  Brains  and  Hearts.          121 

happy  unless  they  had  four  thousand  a  year 
to  spend  on  housekeeping  alone,  and  enough 
more  to  devote  to  mere  pin  money.  I  don't 
believe  ladies  in  general  like  housekeeping." 

"  You  are  slandering  ladies  in  general.  I 
don't  think  you  are  intimatel}'  acquainted  with 
many  true  women  who  are  happily  married." 
She  spoke  earnestly  enough,  but  not  in  a  way 
to  invite  answer.  The  truth  was  she  did  not 
want  to  talk  with  Will  Coleman  in  a  way  that 
would  precipitate  him  into  housekeeping ;  she 
was  by  no  means  sure  of  Jennie  West  on  a 
salary  of  eight  or  nine  hundred  a  year.  "  I 
don't  feel  like  discussing  domestic  economy 
with  you  just  now,  Will,"  she  said,  speaking 
quickly,  to  ward  off  the  question  that  she  saw 
was  coming.  "  I  have  been  watching  for  an 
opportunity  to  ask  you  if  you  have  settled  that 
other  question  yet  about  which  we  talked  so 
much  a  year  ago  or  more." 

"  Oh  !  "  he  said  lightly.  "  How  can  you  ex 
pect  me  to  remember  which  subject  you  mean  ? 
Didn't  you  lecture  me  on  every  conceivable 
topic  that  winter  and  spring?" 

"  Will,  you  know  exactly  what  I  mean." 


122  The  Pocket  Measure. 

"  Do  I  ?  Well,  then,  I  must  confess  neglect. 
I'm  afraid  your  unworthy  servant  must  still 
cry,  '  Go  thy  way  for  this  time.' " 

"And  when  is  the  convenient  season  com- 
ing?" 

"  My  dear  Miss  Carrie  — I  beg  ten  thousand 
pardons !  I  mean,  my  dear  madam,  how  can  I 
tell  ?  I  am  neither  a  prophet  nor  the  son  of  a 
prophet." 

"  Oh,  Will,  how  you  disappoint  me  !  I  am 
almost  sorry  that  you  have  come  up  to  this 
end  of  the  city  to  live.  There  is  so  much  here 
that  ought  to  be  done,  and  earnest-hearted 
young  men  are  so  sadly  needed.  If  you  were 
not  here,  it  is  possible  that  an  active  Christian 
might  be  put  in  your  place,  and  we  need  him 
so  much." 

The  young  man  thus  addressed  made  a  pro 
found  bow,  too  low  to  be  considered  other  than 
mockery,  as  he  said : 

"I'm  sure  I  ought  to  express  my  gratitude 
after  that.  Your  consideration  for  me,  then, 
amounts  to  this,  that  if  I  were  out  of  the  way 
being  a  scapegrace,  it  is  possible  some  good, 
pious  young  deacon  might  reign  in  my  stead." 


Measuring  Brains  and  Hearts.  123 

The  grave  face  did  not  change : 

"  You  want  to  turn  me  away  from  the 
thought,  Will,  by  wheedling  me  into  explain 
ing  what  needs  no  explanation.  You  know 
what  I  mean.  I  have  said  all  to  you  that  I 
know  how  to  say,  and  you  were  honored  with 
such  a  father  and  mother  as  few  have.  You 
know  the  way  perfectly ;  you  could  be  a  power 
among  the  young  men  in  this  part  of  the  city, 
and  a  power  like  what  you  could  be  is  most 
sadly  needed  ;  but  since  you  choose  to  be  only 
a  stumbling-block,  it  is  natural  for  me  to  wish 
that  in  your  place  some  one  might  have  come 
who  would  give  the  needed  help." 

"  You  have  grown  cross  since  you  became  a 
housekeeper,  Mrs.  Spafford.  I  think  I  have 
heard  that  domestic  life  had  a  deleterious  effect 
on  the  nervous  system.  How  can  you  call  me 
such  an  ugly  name  as  a  stumbling-block?  Don't 
I  do  my  best  to  set  your  Christian  young  men 
an  example  ?  I  am  always  at  prayer-meeting  ; 
neither  rain  nor  heat  nor  pleasure  keeps  me 
from  the  lecture-room  on  Thursday  evening. 
Last  Thursday  three  of  your  young  members 
went  down  town  to  the  comic  lecture,  but  I 


124  The  Pocket  Measure. 

was  faithful  to  my  post  and  led  the  singing, 
if  you  will  remember.  I  do  the  best  1  can. 
To  be  sure  the  boys  will  not  always  follow  my 
example ;  but  am  I  to  be  blamed  for  that  ? " 
There  was  a  grieved  expression  about  his 
handsome  mouth,  and  a  sound  in  his  voice  as 
of  one  who  had  been  unjustly  arraigned,  and  a 
wicked  look  of  unutterable  fun  in  his  eyes. 
Perverse  young  genius  that  he  was,  he  knew 
that  his  moral  life  and  exceedingly  punctilious 
adherence  to  all  the  outward  forms  of  religion 
were  matters  of  comment  among  his  acquaint 
ances.  He  knew  there  was  not  an  object  in 
which  the  church  was  supposed  to  be  inter 
ested  that  did  not  receive  from  him  more  hearty 
and  patient  assistance  than  from  almost  any 
of  its  younger  members,  male  or  female  ;  and 
Mrs.  Spafford  knowing  this,  knew  also  that  he 
prided  himself  upon  it;  that  he  was  careful  to 
make  his  life  so  moral,  his  actions  so  beyond 
reproach,  as  to  actually  bring  a  reproach  upon 
the  members  of  Christ's  flock  because,  as  he 
had  once  gayly  expressed  it  "  this  disreputable 
wolf  would  persist  in  acting  so  much  more  like 
a  sheep  than  the  sheep  themselves  did !  " 


Measuring  Brains  and  Hearts.  125 

This  marked  feature  of  the  young  man's 
character  had  been  the  source  of  much  anx 
iety  to  Mrs.  Spafford.  As  a  teacher  she  had 
been  somewhat  familiar  with  young  men,  and 
knew  the  rocks  on  which  they  often  made  ship 
wreck  ;  and  though  this  was  a  by  no  means 
common  one,  it  seemed  to  her  all  the  more 
dangerous. 

"  I  don't  think  young  men  of  the  present  day 
very  often  stumble  over  their  own  righteous 
ness  into  the  pit ;  but  I  am  certainly  afraid  that 
Will  Coleman  will  do  it." 

This  she  said  to  her  husband  in  one  of  their 
confidential  talks.  She  hesitated  as  to  what 
to  say  to  Will  at  this  moment.  He  was  look 
ing  down  at  her  out  of  his  roguish  eyes, 
they  saying  as  plainly  as  words  could,  that 
his  position  was  perfectly  unanswerable. 

"  Will,  do  you  know  the  eleventh  verse  of 
the  eighteenth  chapter  of  Luke  ?  " 

It  was  apparently  so  sudden  a  change  of 
subject  and  so  unexpected  a  question  that 
the  young  man  regarded  her  with  a  bewildered 
air  for  a  moment,  then  slowly  repeated  the 
words. 


126  The  Pocket  Measure. 

"  The  eleventh  verse  of  the  eighteenth 
chapter  of  Luke  ?  I  don't  believe  I  do ;  it 
doesn't  sound  familiar,  some  way  ;  though  it 
may  be  one  of  those  verses  that  I  rattled  off 
in  Sunday-school  a  thousand  times  or  so,  be 
tween  the  ages  of  four  and  ten.  If  you 
would  kindly  start  it  for  me,  as  the  teacher 
used  to  do,  perhaps  I  could  go  on." 

Mrs.  Spafford  shook  her  head. 

"  I  don't  want  to  start  it  for  you.  I  want 
you  to  find  it  some  evening  in  the  quiet  of 
your  own  room,  and  read  it  carefully,  and 
consider  it  thoughtfully,  and  ask  your  own 
heart  if  there  is  any  reason  why  I  should 
think  of  it  when  I  talk  with  you." 

Will,  with  a  very  important  air,  drew  a 
note-book  and  pencil  from  his  pocket. 

"I'll  attend  to  that  item  of  business  at 
the  first  reasonable  opportunity.  Give  me 
chapter  and  verse  again,  please,  in  order  that 
I  may  make  no  mistake." 

"What  are  you  two  moralizing  over?" 

It  was  the  clear,  ringing  voice  of  Jennie 
West  that  asked  the  question  —  a  voice  that, 
despite  his  efforts  to  the  contrary,  always  set 


Measuring  Brains  and  Hearts.  127 

Will  Coleman's  pulses  into  quicker  throbbing. 
She  looked  so  pretty  this  evening;  She  was 
dark-skinned  and  dark-eyed,  and  knew  precisely 
what  tint  to  wear  to  set  off  her  face  to  the 
best  advantage  ;  also,  she  would  have  compassed 
sea  and  land,  had  it  been  necessary  to  have 
secured  the  tint. 

Will  Coleman,  without  raising  his  eyes 
from  the  book,  knew,  or  thought  he  knew, 
that  the  very  loveliest  form  of  flesh  and  blood 
that  the  earth  contained  stood  before  him. 
Isn't  it  strange  with  what  different  eyes  differ 
ent  people  see  ?  Mrs.  Spafford,  looking  upon 
the  pretty  vision  thought  only : 

"Jennie  is  always  a  trifle  overdressed  for  the 
occasion.  I  wonder  when  she  will  tone  down, 
and  what  will  do  it  ?  " 

"  I  am  writing  out  my  text,"  Will  said, 
in  answer  to  the  question.  "  I'm  going  into 
the  theological  line.  Haven't  you  always 
had  a  sort  of  unspoken  feeling  that  I  had 
mistaken  my  vocation  ?  I'm  about  to  change. 
This  is  to  be  my  first  sermon,  which  I  am  to 
prepare  in  the  solitude  of  my  own  thoughts, 


128  The  Pocket  Measure. 

of  course.  I  don't  know  when  I  am  to  present 
it  to  the  public." 

"  What  is  the '  text  ?  "  laughed  Jennie,  to 
whom  this  nonsense  sounded  irresistibly  funny. 

"  As  to  the  wording  I  am  not  quite  sure.  My 
memory  is  at  fault  sometimes,  promising  young 
theologue  though  I  am ;  and,  strange  to  say, 
I  have  forgotten  my  pocket  Bible !  But  I  am 
noting  the  figures,  so  as  to  be  prepared  for  the 
aforesaid  solitude.  I  presume  I  shall  spend 
hours  over  it  to-night,  when  I  reach  my  home." 

"  Oh,  I  haven't  a  doubt  of  it.  Meantime, 
come  and  help  make  up  a  set  for  a  quiet  little 
promenade.  Not  a  dance  !  Callie,  don't  open 
your  eyes  in  horror.  It  is  to  be  just  the  tamest 
sort  of  a  promenade.  The  minister  himself 
might  join  in  it  if  he  were  here." 

"It  is  just  the  thing  for  me  to  take  a  deco 
rous  farewell  of  the  world  in."  said  Will,  and, 
offering  his  arm  with  alacrity  to  the  dazzling 
vision,  and  bestowing  a  deferential  bow  on 
Mrs.  Spafford,  he  vanished. 

"  And  Jennie  is  a  Christian  !  "  This  is  what 
the  somewhat  sad-hearted  young  worker  thought 
as  she  looked  after  the  two.  She  was  so  cer- 


Measuring  Brains  and  Hearts.  129 

tain  that  Jennie's  type  of  religion  did  not 
commend  itself  to  the  keen  eyes  of  Will 
Coleman.  What  was  the  result?  Why,  being 
very  deeply  interested  in  her,  and  unwilling 
to  admit  even  to  himself  that  she  was  a  poor 
t}^pe  of  anything,  he  straightway  concluded 
that  there  was  very  little  besides  form  and 
words  in  the  whole  matter.  Such  being  the 
case,  those  who  were  the  least  trammeled  by 
forms,  and  said  the  fewest  words  about  the 
matter,  were  the  more  agreeable  people  to  be 
with.  Yet  this  young  man  was  always  having 
war  with  himself  and  his  views,  because  he 
could  not  help  respecting  Mrs.  Spafford's  re 
ligion. 

As  for  Mrs.  Spafford,  thus  left  to  herself, 
she  was  at  a  loss  what  to  do.  Certainly  she 
was  strangely  out  of  her  natural  element. 
Moreover,  she  began  to  doubt  whether  it 
was  true  that  in  gatherings  like  these  there 
was  really  any  chance  to  drop  a  seed,  hoping 
for  harvest.  She  looked  over  at  her  husband, 
bright,  genial,  apparently  having  a  delightful 
time.  What  was  he  talking  about?  Why 
did  those  gentlemen  about  him  seem  so  inter- 


130  The  Pocket  Measure. 

ested  and  animated,  and  withal  so  sensible  ? 
Why  could  gentlemen  have  so  much  better 
time  than  ladies,  anyway?  What  should 
she  do  next  ?  If  she  could  get  a  peep  at  her 
watch  unobserved,  and  discover  whether  it 
were  not  almost  time  to  go  home,  she  would- 
like  it;  yet  what  had  become  of  her  views 
about  mingling  socitilly  with  people  and  giving 
and  getting? 

"  I  don't  seem  to  be  able  to  give  anything," 
she  told  herself  in  despondent  mood ;  and  cer 
tainly  I  don't  find  anybody  who  is  giving 
to  me." 

Altogether,  if  time  could  have  rolled  back 
a  few  hundred  years,  and  she  could  have  sat 
down  beside  that  disheartened  old  Elijah  dur 
ing  the  brief  hour  that  he  halted  under  a  juni 
per-tree  and  made  his  moan,  she  would  have 
been  in  just  the  mood  to  sympathize  with 
him. 


CHAPTER  Vin. 

SUBTLE  DISTINCTIONS. 

HERE  was  a  little  rustle  of  silk  just 
at  her  side  ;  silver  gleams  of  it  swept 
over  the  edges  of  her  quiet  blue  muslin, 
and  turning  suddenly  she  found  that  Mrs. 
Evans  had  slipped  into  the  vacant  seat,  and 
was  holding  out  her  gloved  hand  to  clasp  her 
own. 

"  I  have  been  looking  at  you  over  in  this 
corner  for  quite  a  little  time,  and  longing  to 
get  to  you.  You  looked  so  cool  and  still,  and 
seemed  to  be  having  such  a  quiet,  pleasant 
time." 

"  Given  over  to  the  selfishness  of  my  own 
thoughts,"  said  Mrs.  Spafford,  smiling  brightly 


132  The  Pocket  Measure. 

on  her.     "  I  must  bestir  myself  and  try  to  be 
social." 

"  Oh,  don't.  It  seems  to  me  to-night  as 
though  every  one  were  trying  to  be  social.  If 
we  could  all'  give  up  trying  for  a  little  while 
and  just  be  it,  without  any  effort,  it  would  be 
such  a  rest." 

The  undertone  of  intensit}*  in  her  voice  told 
of  such  unrest  that  the  listener  was  startled. 
Moreover,  she  was  surprised  to  hear  such  an 
original  and  earnest  sentence  from  this  fair 
follower  of  fashion.  Truth  to  tell,  Mrs.  Evans 
was  just  a  little  startled  at  herself,  and  made 
haste  to  add : 

"Oh,  I  don't  mean  that.  I  beg  your  pardon  ; 
it  must  have  sounded  very  strangely  to  you. 
I  didn't  think  what  I  was  saying." 

"Does  it  really  seem  to  you  that  there  is 
no  genuine  sociability  in  the  world ;  that  it  is 
all  simply  outside  effort?" 

"  Oh,  dear,  no  !  That  would  be  a  dreadful 
thing  to  say.  I  don't  think  I  know  what  I 
meant.  I  just  happened  to  say  it." 

Mrs.  Evans  was  manifestly  frightened  over 
the  thought  that  she  had  overstepped  conven- 


Subtle  Distinctions.  133 

tionalitles.  Mrs.  Spafford  undertook  to  reas 
sure  her. 

"  Oh,  I  know ;  you  were  simply  speaking 
aloud  your  random  thoughts.  But  I  wonder 
if  there  is  not  great  truth  in  it?  Wouldn't  you 
like  to  know,  for  instance,  just  ho\v  much 
genuine  enjoyment  there  is  in  this  house  this 
evening?" 

"  I   don't  believe   there   is   much." 

The  tone  in  which  Mrs.  Evans  spoke  was 
so  almost  fierce,  that  it  told  her  companion 
as  well  as  words  could  have  done  of  a  mental 
strain  of  some  sort,  so  great  as  to  unfit  her 
for  enjoyment  in  such  a  place.  Instantly  there 
came  to  her  heart  a  longing  to  speak  a  com 
forting  word  to  this  storm-tossed  soul,  whatever 
might  have  caused  the  storm.  How  could  she 
do  it  ?  Where  begin  ?  Did  the  fair  face,  so 
flushed  just  now  with  her  own  inner  feeling, 
belong  to  the  King?  If  so,  was  the  trial,  or 
the  burden,  or  the  annoyance  beyond  his  power 
of  smoothing?  She  ventured  a  suggestion  that, 
if  answered  frankly,  would  give  her  light. 

"  Oh,  I  don't  know.  Are  not  many  of  these 
people  Christians,  and  are  they  ever  other  than 


134  The  Pocket  Measure, 

happy,  at  least  in  a  degree,  when  they  are 
doing  that  which  seems  to  them  a  right  and 
proper  thing  to  do  ?  " 

Mrs.  Evans   looked    utterly   bewildered. 

"  Christians  !  "  she  said,  repeating  the  word 
in  a  dazed  way.  "  What  can  that  have  to  do 
with  an  evening  party  ?  " 

"  My  dear  friend,  what  place  in  life  is  there 
that  a  Christian  has  not  to  do  with  Christ  ?  " 

"  I  don't  believe  I  know  what  you  mean." 

The  answer  was  so  curiously  simple  and 
direct  that  it  embarrassed  the  questioner.  She 
hesitated  what  to  say  next.  There  was,  how 
ever,  such  a  troubled  look  on  the  child  face 
turned  toward  her  questioningly  that  she 
longed  to  speak  comfort. 

"Aren't  you   one   of  His   own?" 

She  spoke  the  words  tenderly,  and  something 
in  the  tone  of  the  suggestion  brought  a  rush 
of  tears  to  the  young  wife's  face. 

"  Oh,  I  don't  know,"  she  said,  hurriedly. 
"I  don't  know  what  I  am.  It  seems  to  me  as 
though  I  am  less  than  nothing.  I  haven't  the 
kind  of  religion  that  you  have  —  that  is  if 
you  really  mean  that  it  has  to  do  with  every- 


Subtle  Distinctions.  135 

thing.  I  am  a  member  of  the  Church,  and 
I  try  to  help  the  Church  along  a  little,  as  much 
as  I  can,  but  I  don't  know  how  to  do  even 
that.  And  that  makes  me  remember  that  I 
resolved,  if  ever  I  had  an  opportunity,  to  ask 
you  what  I  am  afraid  you  will  consider  an 
impertinent  question,  but  I  really  don't  mean 
to  be  impertinent ;  I  ask  it  because  I  am  in 
search  of  help." 

She  had  turned  the  edge  of  the  conversa 
tion  in  so  skillful  a  manner  that  Mrs.  Spafford 
was  afraid  they  would  not  get  back  to  real 
heart  work;  but  she  answered  promptly  and 
cordially. 

"  You  may  ask  me  anything  you  please ;  I 
will  promise  not  to  be  disturbed  in  the  least." 

"Well,  then,  I  beg  your  pardon,  but  Mr. 
Evans  has  a  business  acquaintance  I  believe 
with  your  husband,  and  knows  the  amount 
of  his  salary  —  all  business  men  know  those 
things  of  each  other,  I  suppose  "  —  spoken  in 
an  apologetic  tone  — "  and  what  I  couldn't 
help  being  perfectly  bewildered  over  was  your 
having  money  to  give  for  the  church  debt, 
feeling  sure  that  you  would  have  it  from  month 


136  The  Pocket  Measure. 

to  month,  you  know !  I  hope  you  will  not 
think  this  unpardonable  impertinence."  She 
went  on  hurriedly :  "  I  assure  you  it  is  not  a 
matter  of  mere  idle  curiosity." 

"  I  am  sure  of  it,  my  friend.  I  am  not  in 
the  least  annoyed ;  but  I  want  to  tell  you 
my  answer  illustrates  what  we  were  speaking 
of  a  few  minutes  ago,  that  has  to  do  with 
Christ." 

"What  has?" 

"  Why,  the  money  to  give.  I  am  not  giving 
my  own  money ;  it  is  His,  and  he  lets  me 
spend  it  on  his  work.  If  it  were  mine  I  might 
be  tempted  to  spend  it  on  myself;  but  since 
it  belongs  to  him,  of  course  it  is  a  mere  act 
of  common  honesty  to  give  it  back  to  him." 

Her  listener  looked  amazed;  it  was  as  if 
she  were  listening  to  an  unknown  tongue. 
Then  suddenly  light  broke  over  her  face.  "  Do 
you  mean  that  what  you  give  is  a  sum  left 
you  in  trust  to  use  in  this  way?" 

"  That  is  really  what  it  amounts  to,"  Mrs. 
Spafford  said,  perceiving  meanwhile  that  her 
companion  did  not  understand,  and  that  she 
must  speak  plainly.  "It  is  simply  this,  my 


Subtle  Distinctions.  137 

friend ;  Mr.  Spafford  and  I  believe  that  the 
old  direction,  or  rather  law,  about  consecrat 
ing  one-tenth  of  •  the  income  to  the  Lord, 
holds  good  to-day.  It  wasn't  instituted  as  a 
type  of  Christ,  you  know,  and  therefore  was 
not  annulled  as  the  types  were,  when  he  came. 
We  think  the  tenth  is  as  much  his  own  to-day 
as  it  ever  was,  and  therefore  we  use  it  for 
his  work,  he  graciously  permitting  us  to  act 
according  to  our  judgment  as  to  where  to 
spend  it." 

"  But  I  don't  see  how  you.  can  do  it,"  per 
sisted  Mrs.  Evans.  "  Rich  people  can,  of 
course,  and  people  who  are  comfortably  off, 
but  if  one  can  not  live  on  his  income  and  keep 
out  of  debt  how  has  he  a  right  to  give  part 
of  it  away  ?  " 

"  Perhaps  he  hasn't  —  the  part  that  belongs 
to  him.  But  you.  and  I  are  talking  about 
the  part  that  belongs  to  the  Lord.  I  take  it 
that  I  have  no  more  right  to  use  his  money 
for  my  own  needs  than  I  would  have  to  use 
yours,  should  you  give  me  some  in  trust." 

"  Oh,  well,"  and  there  was  a  shade  of  cold 
ness  in  the  tones  of  Mrs.  Evans'  voice.  It 


138  The  Pocket  Measure. 

was  evident  that  she  judged  her  companion 
as  a  visionary  person  who  could  not  or  would 
not  talk  every  day  language.  "  That  is  pleas 
ant  to  dream  over,  I  know ;  but  I  don't  un 
derstand  it.  So  far  as  your  argument  is  con 
cerned,  I  can't  see  why  it  would  not  apply 
to  all  the  money  that  we  have ;  it  is  all  the 
Lord's." 

"  No,"  said  Mrs.  Spafford,  leaning  forward 
and  speaking  eagerly.  "See  here.  Suppose 
you  were  to  give  me  a  hundred  dollars  a 
year,  with  this  explanation  ;  I  furnish  you  this, 
or  the  means  of  securing  this,  for  your  own 
needs ;  you  are  to  spend  it  as  carefully  and 
as  conscientiously  as  you  can,  for  whatever  you 
intelligently  believe  it  ought  to  be  spent,  with 
this  exception  —  one-tenth  of  it  is  to  be  given 
every  year  to  the  support  of  —  whatever  object 
you  might  choose  to  name.  Would  I  have  any 
right  to  use  the  entire  sum  and  say  I  had  no 
money  for  that  cause." 

Mrs.  Evans'  eyes  had  a  thoughtful,  troubled 
look,  the  illustration  was  so  simple  that  she 
could  not  fail  to  catch  its  force. 

"  I  hardly  know  how  to  explain  to  you  what 


Subtle  Distinctions.  139 

I  think,"  she  said  hesitatingly.  "  But  it  seems 
to  me  if  I  had  plenty  of  money,  and  power 
to  do  what  I  chose,  I  wouldn't  impose  such 
a  restriction  on  your  little,  when  it  was  difficult 
for  you  to  make  the  ends  meet." 

"  But  suppose,  dear  friend,  you  were  gifted 
with  the  power  of  foreseeing  all  my  future,  and 
knew  it  would  be  a  world  of  good  to  me  to 
become  personally  interested  in  the  various 
benevolences  of  the  day,  and  knew  also  that 
you  could  make  the  ninety  dollars  left  me 
reach  as  far,  or  farther,  than  the  one  hundred  ?  " 

"Do  you  really  mean  that  people  who  give 
systematically  out  of  small  incomes  get  along 
better  than  those  who  do  riot  ?  " 

"I  really  believe  that  the  Lord,  when  he 
said,  '  Give,  and  it  shall  be  given  unto  you, 
good  measure,  pressed  down  and  shaken  to 
gether,  and  running  over,  shall  men  give  into 
your  bosom,'  meant  just  what  he  said." 

"I  don't  think  many  people  believe  in  giv 
ing  a  tenth  of  their  income.  Do  you  ? " 

"  Not  many,  perhaps  ;  and  yet  I  believe  there 
is  a  larger  proportion  of  such  people  than  is 
generally  supposed.  But  the  main  question, 


140  The  Pocket  Measure. 

after  all,  is  whether  the  Lord  Jesus  believes 
in  it.  If  you  have  not  examined  the  Bible 
lately  with  special  reference  to  this  matter, 
suppose  3rou  and  Mr.  Evans  take  it  up  for 
discussion  and  study.  I  should  so  much  like 
to  know  what  conclusion  you  will  arrive  at." 

A  painful  flush  overspread  Mrs.  Evans'  face, 
and,  after  a  moment  of  embarrassed  silence, 
she  said,  in  a  low  voice: 

"  My  husband  is  not  a  Christian,  Mrs.  Spaf- 
ford.  We  never  study  the  Bible  together  about 
any  subject." 

"  Oh ! "  said  Mrs.  Spafford,  and  then  she, 
too,  was  embarrassed;  so  much  so,  that  it 
seemed  to  her  there  was  really  nothing  left 
to  say.  Perhaps  she  had  peculiar  ideas.  Be 
that  as  it  may,  she  could  not  get  away  from 
the  feeling  that  to  be  a  married  woman,  and 
to  have  chosen  for  life  one  who  could  not  sym 
pathize  fully  with  you  on  that  most  vital  of 
all  subjects,  was  a  cause  for  great  and  lasting 
sorrow.  What  word  of  comfort  was  there  that 
she  could  speak?  What  she  felt  like  saying 
was  :  "  How  could  you,  how  could  you,  loving 
Christ,  link  your  very  soul  to  one  who  loved 


Subtle  Distinctions.  141 

Him  not !  "  But  of  what  use  to  say  this  now. 
Would  it  not  even  be  cruel  to  say  it?  She 
tried  to  gather  her  thoughts  away  from  the 
revelation  so  painful  to  her,  and  think  of  some 
thing  to  say  calculated  to  help  this  perturbed 
soul.  How  could  she  best  remind  her  that 
there  was  all  the  more  need  for  a  close  per 
sonal  union  between  her  and  Christ,  since  the 
earthly  union  which  was  instituted  in  part  to 
symbolize  the  heavenly  had  fallen  below  its 
mission  ?  " 

While  she  hesitated,  and  the  troubled  look 
on  Mrs.  Evans'  face  in  no  way  lessened,  Mr. 
Evans  came  over  to  their  corner.  A  bow  and 
a  cordial  greeting  for  Mrs.  Spafford,  but  no 
time  to  tarry ;  his  business  was  with  his  wife. 

"Lovely  evening,  is  it  not,  Mrs.  Spafford? 
And  this  is  a  very  pleasant  entertainment.  I 
hope  you  are  enjoying  it.  Eva,  my  dear,  come 
and  fill  out  this  set;  two  more  are  needed." 
Mrs.  Evans  arose  reluctantly.  She  did  not 
want  to  fill  out  the  set ;  she  did  want  to  stay 
and  talk  with  this  quiet-faced  woman,  a  woman 
whose  face  indicated  no  shadow  of  inward  un 
rest.  True,  she  did  not  understand  her,  and 


142  The  Pocket  Measure. 

had  been  disappointed  somewhat  in  the  turn 
that  the  conversation  was  taking,  but  she  was 
by  no  means  ready  to  leave  it.  Mr.  Evans, 
however,  spoke  with  the  air  of  a  man  who  was 
accustomed  to  have  his  wife  answer  promptly 
and  with  alacrity  the  call  to  dance,  and  led 
her  away  with  a  smile  and  a  bow. 

Once  more  Mrs.  Spafford  was  alone,  and  she 
was  still  a  trifle  depressed.  The  evening  was 
going  in  no  sense  according  to  her  planning. 

Among  her  hopes  had  been  this  one  of  an 
earnest  talk  with  the  young  wife,  whose  trou 
bles  of  various  sorts  were  beginning  to  tell  so 
clearly  on  her  face.  But  the  talk  had  come 
to  naught ;  had  refused  to  turn  itself  into  the 
intended  channel,  and  had  finally  been  broken 
into  by  a  dance !  Some  more  unfinished  work, 
with  no  chance  to  take  up  the  scattered  stitches, 
so  far  as  she  could  see,  and  go  on  with  it 
again : 


"  Content  to  fill  a  little  space, 
IfThou  art  glorified." 

The  couplet  said  itself  over  and  over  in  her 
thought.  They  had  been  favorite  lines  in  her 
girlhood ;  the  whole  poem  had  been  a  favorite 


Subtle  Distinctions.-  143 

with  her  mother.  Well,  she  was  content  to  fill 
the  little  spaces ;  it  was  what  she  had  desired 
to  do  this  very  evening.  Quiet  corners,  with 
here  and  there  a  word  dropped  for  her  Lord. 
Such  had  been  her  plan  ;  but  the  plan  had 
not  seemed  to  work.  She  had  tried,  so  she 
thought.  Arid  then  she  asked  herself,  had  she 
tried,  after  all  ?  Could  she  not  have  said  bet 
ter  words  to  Will  Coleman  if  her  heart  had 
been  more  in  it?  Could  she  not,  even  in  that 
little  moment,  have  helped  the  troubled  wife  — 
turned  her  directly  to  the  great  Helper.  Was 
it  possible  that  her  effort  had  been  half-hearted  ? 
That  the  blue  muslin  had  obtruded  itself  in  a 
way  to  distract  her  thoughts  ?  It  seemed  to 
Mrs.  Spafford  a  very  discouraging  evening. 

But  it  was  not  yet  over.  She  had  just  re 
solved  upon  leaving  her  retreat  and  mingling 
with  the  rest  when  it  was  again  invaded.  This 
time  a  middle-aged  woman,  with  prematurely 
gray  hair  massed  like  a  crown  on  ,her  shapely 
head,  and  the  simplest  and  quietest  of  toilets, 
less  conspicuous  than  the  blue  muslin,  dropped 
into  the  other  corner  of  the  tete-a-tete. 

"  I  think  I  shall   have  to  introduce  myself," 


144  The  Pocket  Measure. 

she  said,  pleasantly.  "I  am  Mrs.  Temple;  a 
long-continued  absence  from  home  has  been  all 
that  has  prevented  my  calling  on  you ;  I  know 
your  husband." 

Now  what  was  there  about  this  lady  different 
from  those  with  whom  she  was  surrounded? 
Mrs.  Spafford,  even  in  the  first  moments  of  their 
acquaintance,  tried  to  analyze  the  charm.  Re 
fined,  cultured,  exceedingly  well-bred  —  so  were 
all  those  about  them  —  yet  there  was  a  subtle, 
undefinable  difference  ;  a  something  that  drew 
the  younger  lady's  heart,  and  made  her  realize 
even  at  this  early  moment  that  she  was  talking 
with  one  in  sympathy.  What  a  delightful  half- 
hour  it  was  that  followed  !  Their  talk  took  a 
wide  range  and  touched  upon  a  great  variety 
of  subjects.  On  every  one  they  were  in  sym 
pathy.  Thinking  of  it  afterward,  Mrs.  Spafford 
tried  to  recall  how  the  lady  made  known  her 
connection  with  the  great  family  of  Christ. 
She  certainly  did  not  say  in  so  many  words,  "  I 
am  a  Christian,"  and  yet  it  was  apparent  from 
the  very  first.  "She  is  a  person  to  study," 
Mrs.  Spafford  told  herself ;  "  she  carries  the 
atmosphere  about  with  her.  She  almost  wears 


Subtle  Distinctions.  145 

a  uniform ;  yet  how  simple  and  becoming  it  is." 

"  By  the  way,"  said  the  new  acquaintance, 
halt'  rising  to  leave  her,  then  dropping  back, 
"  have  you  organized  as  a  church  yet,  for 
the  foreign  work?" 

"  I  am  not  sure  that  we  are  organized 
for  anything  unless  it  may  be  festivals,"  Mrs. 
Spafford  said,  laughing ;  "  but  I  don't  believe 
I  know  what  you  mean.  Is  there  any  special 
organization?" 

"My  friend,  didn't  you  know  that  we 
women  had  taken  a  stride  into  the  centre 
of  things,  and  are  moving  on  the  ranks  in  a 
thoroughly  organized  and  impressive  manner  ?  " 

Mrs.  Spafford  promptly  confessed  her  en 
tire  ignorance,  whereupon  her  new  friend 
launched  forth  into  a  description  of  the  first 
beginnings  of  the  "  Woman's  Board."  She 
found  Mrs.  Spafford  a  ready  listener  and 
an  eager  questioner,  promptly  possessing  her 
self  of  details  with  the  manner  of  one  who: 
means  to  use  them. 

"  But  ten  cents  a  month  is  such  a  very  little 
sum,"  she  presently  objected;  "how  can  you 
hope  to  accomplish  much?" 


146  The  Pocket  Measure. 

"  My  dear,  that  is  one  of  its  beauties ;  not 
the  accomplishing  little,  but  the  smallness  of 
the  sum;  don't  you  see  it  admits  almost 
every  woman  in  Christendom  ?  I  mean  of 
course  the  Christian  women ;  even  the  very 
poor,  whose  hearts  are  in  the  work  can  come 
into  fellowship  with  us,  and  when  the  thousands 
of  Christian  women  rise  up  in  force  and  pour 
in  their  offerings  of  ten  cents  a  month,  unless 
you  have  settled  yourself  with  paper  and 
pencil  and  computed  it  as  I  have,  you  cannot 
make  yourself  imagine  what  a  grand  sum  total 
it  will  be  !  " 

"  I  can  have  some  faint  conception  of  it," 
the  younger  lady  said,  her  eyes  shining. 

Here  was  a  work  in  which  she  could  partici 
pate  ;  she  thought  of  the  box  of  jewels  at 
home,  waiting  for  a  channel  through  which 
to  flow ;  not  all  waiting,  it  is  true,  for  chan 
nels  were  plenty,  but  she  saw  her  way  clear 
to  join  this  grand  movement,  and  her  question 
ing  grew  more  eager.  How  did  they  organize, 
and  when  meet  ?  Who  conduct  the  meetings  ? 
How  were  they  conducted  ? 

"I'll  tell  you,"  Mrs.  Temple  said,  increasing 


Subtle  Distinctions.  147 

in  enthusiasm  in  proportion  as  her  listener 
warmed  with  the  subject.  Come  down  to 
our  next  meeting;  we  meet  on  Thursday,  in 
the  Twelfth  Street  Church ;  there  you  will  see 
and  hear,  and  get  more  than  I  could  give  you 
in  hours  of  talk.  We  have  some  grand  ladies 
on  Twelfth  Street  who  have  taken  hold  of 
the  work  with  enthusiasm,  and  they  will 
be  just  the  ones  to  help  you ;  oh,  you  must 
organize,  of  course ;  every  church  called  by 
the  Master's  name  can  not  surely  do  less  for 
him  than  that." 

"  But,  Mrs.  Temple  don't  you  find  among 
your  members  some  who  are  not  in  sympathy 
with  the  movement  ?  " 

As  Mrs.  Spafford  asked  that  question  their 
hostess  flitted  past  them  with  a  smile  and  bow, 
and  the  questioner  may  have  had  a  vision  of 
herself  trying  to  interest  Mrs.  Bacon  in  the 
new  movement. 

Mrs.  Temple's  voice  dropped  lower,  and  she 
laid  her  ungloved  hand  impressively  on  her 
neighbor's. 

"  My  dear  friend,  we  do  not  find  one-third, 
even  one-third,  of  the  Christian  women  of  our 


148  The  Pocket  Measure. 

church  interested  enough  to  attend  to  what  we 
are  saying,  and  discover  what  we  are  trying 
to  do  !  It  is  this  fact  that  has  roused  me  to 
my  present  pitch  of  enthusiasm ;  we  have  need 
of  missionaries  right  here  at  home ;  we  must 
evangelize  the  Church  of  Christ,  and  get  it 
to  take  hold  of  its  privileges ! " 

"  I  liked  that  plainly  dressed  woman  with 
whom  I  was  talking  when  you  came  up  better 
than  all  the  rest  of  them  put  together.  She  is 
simpler  and  plainer  than  the  others,  more  like 
my  kind  of  women.  I  fancy  I  could  go  to  her 
house  and  enjoy  a  nice  quiet  little  tea  in  a 
very  plain  way  and  be  happy  in  hearing  her 
talk.  With  most  of  them  I  felt  a  sort  of  not- 
at-home  feeling." 

This  opinion  Callie  confided  to  her  husband 
on  their  homeward  walk.  He,  as  he  was  much 
given  to  doing  when  a  good  deal  astonished, 
indulged  in  the  whistling  of  a  strain  or  two  of 
music  before  he  answered : 

"  My  small,  plain,  modest  little  woman,  do 
you  happen  to  know  who  the  lady  was  with 
whom  you  were  conversing,  and  who  is  'your 
kind  of  people  ?  '" 


Subtle  Distinctions.  149 

"  I  only  know  that  she  is  Mrs.  Temple,  and 
belongs  in  the  Twelfth  Street  Church. 

"  Let  me  also  inform  you  that  her  husband 
is  Junius  J.  Temple,  Sr.,  the  wealthiest  man 
in  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  city ;  and 
their  house  in  which  you  propose  to  take  that 
'plain,  quiet  tea,"  is  much  the  finest  one  that 
can  be  found  within  a  hundred  miles  of  us." 

"I  don't  care,"  his1  wife  said,  laughing; 
'•nevertheless,  I  felt  at  home  with  her.  I 
didn't  think  of  money  in  connection  with  her, 
nor  of  my  blue  dress.  I  can't  describe  to  you 
the  difference,  but  some  of  the  people  kept  me 
all  the  time  thinking  about  my  blue  muslin, 
instead  of  attending  to  what  they  were  saying." 


CHAPTER  IX. 

"  YET  LACKEST  THOU " 

GREAT  trial  had  come  to  Mrs.  Spaf- 
ford.  Even  the  formidable  one  of  hav 
ing  to  say  good-by  to  her  husband  for 
the  space  of  thirty-six  hours,  and  spend  an  en 
tire  night  alone  in  her  pretty  box  of  a  house  ! 
The  firm  by  whom  he  was  employed,  having 
flinty  hearts,  had  directed  that  the  husband 
should  take  the  first  morning  train  to  a  certain 
inland  town,  there  to  transact  some  business, 
and  the  earliest  return  train  he  could  hope  to 
make  was  the  evening  one,  thhty-six  hours 
afterward ! 

Years  afterward  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spafford  were 
wont  to  look  back  upon  this  first  sharp  experi- 
150 


"Yet  Lackest  Thou ."  151 

ence  with  laughter,  that  it  had  really  been  so 
sharp.  Not  that  they  learned  to  like  separa 
tion  one  whit  better  than  on  that  first  day,  but 
simply  that  all  the  strong,  stern  lessons  of  life 
were  behind  instead  of  before  them,  with  their 
wealth  of  discipline,  and  they  had  come  to 
take  calmly,  philosophically,  even  thankfully, 
because  they  were  no  worse,  the  little  every-day 
crosses  that  at  first  seemed  so  hard.  But  this 
first  day  in  which  Mrs.  Spafford  ate  her  lunch 
alone  as  usual,  but  without  being  able  to  look 
forward  to  the  six-thirty  car,  and  the  cheerful 
little  dinner  that  she  should  have  .ready  for 
two,  seemed  to  her  one  week  long. 

They  had  had  a  great  time,  her  husband  and 
herself,  planning  for  that  lonely  night.  Gallic 
Howell  had  spent  many  a  night  alone  in  her 
boarding-house,  up  in  the  third  story,  almost  as 
far  removed  from  neighbors  as  she  was  in  this 
little  box,  with  neighbors  close  on  every  side. 
But  Gallic  Howell  alone  and  unprotected,  and 
Mrs.  Warren  Spafford  with  a  husband  to  look 
after  her  comfort,  were  two  very  different  be 
ings.  The  said  husband  very  peremptorily 
decided  that  she  must  on  no  account  stay  alone. 


152  The  Pocket  Measure. 

Then  they  cast  about  them  for  the  proper  one 
to  stand  her  protector  during  that  long 
night. 

Viewed  in  the  light  of  a  protector,  the  one 
whom  they  finally  selected,  or,  more  properly 
speaking,  who  selected  herself,  was  an  amuse 
ment  to  Callie.  It  happened  that  Jennie  West 
was  among  their  afternoon  callers,  and  on  being 
told  of  the  circumstances,  promptly  offered  her 
services  as  night  watchman.  Thus  it  came 
about  that  on  Thursday  evening  it  was  Jennie, 
who,  with  beautiful  unbound  hair  flowing  far 
below  her  waist,  sat  in  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spafford's 
private  room  and  talked,  while  Mrs.  Spafford 
moved  around  closing  blinds,  turning  down 
fastenings,  and  examining  bolts  and  key-holes 
in  that  restless  manner  which  comes  over  lov 
ingly-guarded  wives  ^when  the  protector  is 
away. 

"  Oh,  do  sit  down,"  said  Jennie,  at  last. 
"  You  have  slipped  that  bolt  and  slipped  it 
back  again  three  times.  I'll  warrant  it  is  as 
safe  now  as  you  can  make  it.  Do  you  fidget 
around  this  way  when  Mr.  Spafford  is  at 
home?" 


"Yet  Laclcest  Thou ."  153 

Whereupon  Mrs.  Spafford  admitted,  with  a 
shame-faced  laugh  that  that  particular  bolt  had 
not  been  drawn  before  since  they  had  occupied 
the  house. 

"  Well,  then,  what  are  you  about  to-night  ? 
I  didn't  know  you  had  a  cowardly  streak  in 
your  nature.  Come  and  sit  down ;  I  want  to 
talk  with  you.  I  will  be  responsible  for  any 
robber  who  comes  through  that  key-hole  with 
out  your  looking  at  it  again." 

Mrs.  Spafford  laughed  and  came  away  from 
the  key-hole,  and  let  bolts  and  locks  alone ; 
but  she  did  not  sit  down.  She  felt  too  restless 
and  lonely  to  settle  herself  for  a  talk  with  Jen 
nie.  She  stood  before  the  dressing  bureau  and 
began  to  draw  the  pins  out  of  her  own  hair, 
and  Jennie,  apparently  considering  her  as  set 
tled  as  she  could  be  under  the  circumstances, 
commenced  her  "talk." 

"  Callie,  have  you  seen  Will  Coleman  since 
the  evening  of  Mrs.  Bacon's  party  ?  " 

"  Only  in  the  distance.  I  bowed  to  him  at 
the  foot  of  Green  Avenue  yesterday." 

"Well,  did  you  know  he  was  half  vexed 
with  you?  He  thinks  you  were  unnecessarily 


154  2  he  Pocket  Measure. 

hard  on  him  the  other  night.  You  are  apt  to 
be  severe,  you  know,  Gallic." 

"  Am  I  ?  Still,  I  can't  recall  anything  I  said 
to  Will  that  sounded  hard.  Did  he  particu 
larize  ?  " 

"  Why,  he  said  you  called  him  a  hypocrite, 
outright." 

"  I  guess  not,  Jennie." 

"Well,  a  Pharisee,  then  —  something  of  the 
sort.  You  as  good  as  told  him  that  he  had 
too  high  an  opinion  of  himself.  He  said  per 
haps  he  had ;  he  knew  some  other  people  who 
were  troubled,  in  his  estimation,  with  the  same 
fault ;  but  it  wasn't  exactly  the  thing  to  tell 
them  so  to  their  faces.  Oh,  he  was  real  cross. 
I  had  all  I  could  do  to  make  him  believe  that 
you  couldn't  have  meant  a  word  you  said." 

Mrs.  Spafford  turned  an  amused  face  toward 
her  champion.  She  was  so  indifferent  as  to 
what  Will  Coleman  thought  of  her  personally, 
that  she  could  afford  to  laugh. 

"  My  dear  Jennie,"  she  said,  "  did  you  con 
sider  that  complimentary  to  me  ?  Don't  you 
know  I  always  mean  what  I  say  ?  Will  is 
evidently  a  little  confused  in  his  statements.  I 


"Yet  Lackest  Thou ."  155 

said  not  a  word  to  him  about  hypocrites  or 
Pharisees.  By  the  way,  there  is  a  shade  of 
difference  in  the  meaning  of  the  two  words, 
don't  you  think?  What  I  did  was  to  refer 
him  to  a  certain  Bible  verse  which  I  said  re 
minded  me  of  him  when  I  read  it.  If  he  sees 
more  personal  likeness  there  than  I  do,  surely 
I  am  not  to  blame,  and  he  should  not  attribute 
the  knowledge  to  me.  I  am  sorry  I  offended 
him.  Tell  him  to  come  and  see  me,  and  explain 
what  ought  to  be  apologized  for,  and  I'll  at 
tend  to  it.  What  I  tried  to  do  was  to  have  a 
serious  talk  with  him ;  he  disappoints  me  in  so 
many  ways." 

"  Disappoints  you  !  I  don't  know  why  he 
should.  You  must  be  very  hard  to  suit  if  Will 
Coleman  disappoints  you.  He  is  one  of  the 
most  moral  young  men  I  know." 

"  Jennie,"  said  Mrs.  Spafford,  after  a  thought 
ful  pause,  "  I  want  to  ask  you  a  question  now  : 
if  you  think  it  is  rude  you  need  not  answer  it, 
you  know.  Are  you  engaged  to  Will  Cole 
man  ?  " 

"  Engaged  !  What  an  idea  !  And  he  a  clerk 
on  a  starving  salary.  Why,  he  can  hardly  sup- 


156  The  Pocket  Measure. 

port  himself.  You  don't  suppose  he  thinks  of 
marrying  ?  " 

"My  dear,  his  salary  is  larger  by  several 
hundreds  than  my  husband's." 

"  Oh,  well,  you  !  People  are  not  all  like  you. 
I  never  could  manage  things  as  you  do  —  plan 
about  every  match  I  struck,  and  all  that  sort 
of  thing.  Gallic,  why  on  earth  don't  you  bum 
gas  ?  The  idea  of  your  poking  around  here 
with  a  horrid,  ill-smelling  kerosene  lamp,  when 
the  gas  is  in  every  room  !  Now,  what  is  that 
for?" 

"  Economy,"  said  Mrs.  Spafford,  with  a  smil 
ing  face.  "  If  you  were  a  housekeeper  you 
would  be  aware  that  the  gas  in  this  region  is 
extremely  expensive,  and  makes  really  a  start 
ling  difference  in  the  week's  accounts.  But  my 
friend,  don't  be  guilty  of  slander.  This  is  a 
little  gem  of  a  lamp ;  never  thinks  of  smelling 
badly  unless  some  ignorant  person  turns  the 
wick  too  low,  or  ill-treats  it  in  some  way." 

"  Oh,  well  now,  it's  horrid,  and  you  needn't 
pretend  you  don't  think  so.  The  idea  of  having 
to  fill  and  trim  the  vile  thing  !  I  tell  you  what 
it  is,  Callie  Howell,  I  think  you  have  a  harder 


"Yet  Lackest  Thou ."  157 

time  than  when  you  were  a  poor  school-teacher 
and  took  care  of  yourself.  And  you  see  I  never 
could  do  it  for  anybody.  I'm  not  used  to  it. 
It  isn't  as  though  I  had  money  of  my  own. 
That  horrid  life  interest  which  my  mother  has 
just  spoils  everything ;  she  can't  give  away 
any  of  her  money,  even  to  me.  Oh,  there's  no 
use  in  talking ;  I  never  could  be  a  poor  man's 
wife." 

"  I  by  all  means  advise  you  never  to  become 
one  until  you  have  changed  your  present  views. 
There  are  trials  in  the  lot  which  you  would  un 
doubtedly  find  hard  to  bear." 

"  There  now,  Gallic  Howell  !  I  don't  think 
it  will  do  for  you  to  talk  about  folks  being 
hypocrites.  Every  time  I  have  hinted  at  your 
position  as  being  cramped  or  discouraging,  a 
great  deal  harder  than  you  were  accustomed 
to,  you  have  put  on  the  most  complacent  and 
provo'king  smile,  as  if  you  were  the  most  satis 
fied  of  human  beings,  and  here  you  as  good  as 
own  that  you  are  sorry  you  ever  undertook 
it" 

Mrs.  Spafford  turned  entirely  from  the  toilet 
bureau  and  let  her  hair  fall  suddenly,  and  gave 


158  The  Pocket  Measure. 

Miss  Jennie  the  benefit  of  a  pair  of  dangerously 
flashing  eyes,  as  she  said: 

"  You  need  to  give  very  close  attention  to 
what  I  say,  Jennie,  otherwise  it  is  unsafe  to  talk 
to  you.  Your  habit  of  seizing  a  piece  of  a  sen 
tence  and  jumping  at  a  conclusion  makes  it 
difficult  to  carry  on  a  conversation.  I  hinted 
nothing  of  the  kind.  I  advised,  and  do  advise 
most  earnestly,  that  you  never  marry  a  poor 
man  until  you  change  your  present  views  of 
things ;  or,  in  other  words,  until  you  value 
wealth  less  and  hearts  more.  For  myself,  I 
am  not  in  the  habit  of  spreading  abroad  my  sat 
isfaction  ;  but  it  seems  necessary  to  speak  rery 
plainly  to  you,  and  I  have  no  hesitation  in  tell 
ing  you  that  I  would  have  married  Warren 
Spafford  if  his  salary  had  been  three  hundred  a 
year  instead  of  six,  and  that  every  day  of  my 
life  I  go  on  my  knees  and  thank  God  that  I 
am  his  happy  wife.  And  I  expect  to  thank 
him,  through  whatever  trial  or  perplexity  that 
may  come,  and  I  presume  we  shall  have  per 
plexities  and  trials;  I  never  supposed  that 
married  life  was  made  up  of  continuous  beds 
of  roses ;  but  whatever  happens  or  can  happen 


"Yet  LacJcest  Thou ."  159 

I  shall  continue  to  thank  God  that  I  am  Warren 
Spafford's  wife.  Until  you  can"  be  sure  of  such 
a  feeling  as  this  toward  the  man  whose  name 
you  are  to  bear,  without  regard  to  the  accidents 
of  wealth  or  poverty,  I  do  most  earnestly  advise 
you  never  to  marry.  Am  I  understood  ?  " 

"  Bless  my  heart,"  said  Jennie  West.  "  I 
do  believe,  Callie  Howell,  that  you  would 
have  made  a  good  actress !  I  didn't  know 
that  you  had  so  much  fire.  What  a  pity 
you  couldn't  have  had  the  chance  to  try  it. 
I  shouldn't  wonder  if  you  could  have  made 
your  fortune." 

The  blazing-eyed  young  matron  turned 
back  to  her  glass  and  her  hair,  the  light  dying 
out  of  her  eyes,  and  her  mouth  breaking  into 
a  smile  ;  she  believed  she  had  been  a  simpleton 
for  showing,  or  trying  to  show,  Jennie  West 
a  glimpse  of  her  heart.* 

"So  you  do  not  mean  to  marry  Will 
Coleman  ? "  She  asked  the  question  in  her 
usual,  quiet  tone. 

"  Not  until  he  asks  me,  at  least,"  with  a 
nervous  little  laugh.  "  What  makes  you 
talk  so  much  about  his  marrying?  I  believe 


160  The  Pocket  Measure. 

he  has  as  little  idea  of  it  as  I  have ;  he  knows 
he  cannot  afford  'to  support  a  wife.  It  would 
make  him  miserable  to  bring  a  woman  down 
from  a  station  in  which  she  was  fitted  to  shine, 
and  oblige  her  to  live  from  hand  to  mouth, 
as  you  and  Mr.  Spafford  are  obliged  to  do.  He 
as  good  as  said  so." 

"  Mr.  Spafford  and  I  are  very  much  obliged 
to  him,"  the  wife  said,  with  curling  lip.  Then, 
after  another  thoughtful  pause  — "  Jennie,  I 
don't  know  but  you  might  mistake  my  mean 
ing,  in  one  respect;  I  am  far  from  wishing 
to  see  you  the  wife  of  Will  Coleman ;  and  I 
should  think  there  ought  to  be  insuperable 
objection  to  him  from  another  point  of  view 
than  his  povert}r." 

"I  can't  imagine  why"  —  Jennie's  eyes 
flashed  now  — "  there  isn't  a  more  perfect 
gentleman  in  the  entire  city.  He  has  had 
the  advantages  of  good  society  all  his  life 
\f  he  is  poor,  and  he  has  a  real  good  educa 
tion.  I'm  sure  people  consider  him  unex 
ceptionable." 

"Is  he  a  Christian?" 


"Yet  Lackest  Thou ."  161 

"  Oh,  well,  he  isn't  a  church-member,  if 
that  is  what  you  mean." 

"  It  isn't  what  I  mean.  I  am  talking  about 
being  a  Christian.  It  has  always  seemed 
to  me  almost  as  plain  as  the  ten  commandments 
that  the  Bible  pronounced  against  a  Christian 
marrying  an  unconverted  person." 

"  I  think  that  is  all  nonsense  ! "  burst  forth 
Jennie,  with  burning  cheeks.  "  How  many 
people  do  it  ?  Half  of  our  church,  I  do 
believe,  is  made  up  of  women  whose  husbands 
hardly  ever  come  to  church  even ;  they  are 
not  members,  anyway ;  and  yet  they  support 
the  church  with  their  money,  and  all  that." 

"  My  dear  Jennie,  does  your  Bible  read, 
"  Do  as  half  of  our  church  does  about  these 
matters,'  or  does  it  individualize  responsi 
bilities  ?  " 

"  Well,  I  don't  care.  If  I  wanted  to  marry 
a  man  I  wonld,  whether  he  was  a  church- 
member  or  not." 

"  Whether  he  was  a  Christian  or  not,  do 
you  mean?" 

"Yes,  I  do." 

"  But,    Jennie,  you    don't    mean   that    you 


162  The  Pocket  Measure, 

would  not  try  first  to  discover  what  the  Bible 
said  about  the  matter,  and  what  Christ  wanted 
you  to  do  ?  " 

"  The  Bible  doesn't  say  anything  about  it." 
•    "  How    can   two  walk  together  unless   the}*- 
be  agreed?" 

"  We  are  agreed,"  said  Jennie,  softly,  with 
deeply  flushing  cheeks.  "  I  never  saw  any 
person  who  suited  me  more  perfectly,  met 
my  ideal  more  fully,  than  Will  Coleman. 
And  as  for  his  being  a  member  of  the  church, 
what  difference  does  that  make  ?  Look  how 
regular  he  is  in  attendance ;  always  at  church 
and  at  prayer-meeting  ;  he  told  me  himself  that 
he  hadn't  missed  a  Wednesday  evening  since 
he  came  up  to  the  branch  store,  and  that  he 
was  a  regular  stand-by;  the  people  depended 
on  him  as  much  as  they  did  on  the  minister. 
Look  at  that  for  an  example  !  Bless  me  !  I've 
missed  half  a  dozen  Wednesday  evenings 
this  spring,  and  Will  told  me  himself  that 
you  and  Mr.  Spafford  were  both  away  one 
evening." 

"  Yes,"  said  Mrs.  Spafford,  quietly ;  "  my 
husband  was  detained  down  town  until  nearly 


"Yet  Lackest  Thou ."  163 

nine  o'clock,  and  I  had  no   one  to    go   with." 

"  That's  it,"  (spoken  in  triumphant  tones) ; 
"  church-members  are  always  being  detained, 
but  you  never  hear  Will  Coleman  making 
such  excuses.  I  heard  him  myself  once  de 
cline  an  invitation  to  a  club-meeting  on  the 
plea  that  it  was  prayer-meeting  evening." 

"  And  boasted  over  it  to  the  next  half 
hearted  Christian  he  met,  I  am  almost  certain." 
This  Mrs.  Spafford  thought,  but  did  not  say. 
What  was  the  use  in  talking  with  Jennie? 

The  next  question  was  put  hesitatingly, 
as  one  who  was  feeling  her  ground: 

"  Jennie,  are  you  making  Will  a  subject 
of  special  and  persistent  prayer?" 

"  Of  course  I  pray  for  him ;  I  do  for  all 
my  friends,  though  I  think  this  minute  he 
is  a  great  deal  better  than  I  am ;  I  need  his 
prayers  ever  so  much  more  than  he  needs 
mine.  I  don't  know  what  you  mean  by 
'persistent  prayer.'  It  sounds  rather  irreverent 
to  me." 

Then  there  came  to  Mrs.  Spafford's  heart 
the  same  doubtful  twinge  that  she  had  felt 
so  often  before  for  Jennie;  as  to  whether 


164  The  Pocket  Measure. 

she  herself  had  really  the  root  of  the  matter 
in  her,  or  was  only,  as  she  was  so  fond  of 
expressing  it,  a  "  church-member."  But  there 
was  still  one  question  that  she  wanted  to 
ask;  she  had  been  trying  to  get  to  it  all 
the  evening. 

"Are  you  never  a  —  well  —  a  little  troubled 
about  one  of  Will's  habits,  lest  it  may  grow 
on  him?" 

"No,  I  never  was  troubled  for  a  minute 
about  any  habit  of  Will  Coleman's.  What  do 
you  mean  ? " 

Then  did  Mrs.  Spafford  wish  she  had 
not  spoken,  but  now  she  must  go  on. 

"You  know  at  these  large  parties  that  he 
attends  he  frequently  takes  wine  ?  Have 
you  never  feared  it  might  grow  into  a 
habit?" 

"  I  wonder  who  doesn't !  There  isn't  a 
gentleman  in  our  set,  so  far  as  I  know,  who 
refuses  it.  Troubled  at  that !  The  idea ! 
Gallic  Howell,  I  believe  you  would  like  to 
put  all  young  men  into  a  rose-lined  work- 
box  and  keep  the  key  yourself  I " 

"I   would    like  to  put   their    names    on    a 


"  Yet  Lackest  Thou ."  165 

total  abstinence  pledge,"  she  said  firmly. 
"And  I  don't  hesitate  to  say  that  I  tremble 
for  all  young  men  whose  names  are  not  there, 
unless  indeed  their  feet  are  anchored  on  the 
Rock,  and  their  paths  shielded  by  Christ  him 
self;  the  pledge  is  only  a  crutch  of  course." 

Jennie  West  was  getting  very  angry. 

"  For  my  part,"  she  said,  haughtily,  "  I 
would  just  as  soon  a  man  would  drink  wine 
as  to  smoke  cigars.  I  don't  see  the  difference 
between  them  that  you  seem  to." 

Mrs.  Spafford's  cheeks  glowed  hotly  now, 
but  she  steadied  her  voice  into  calmness. 

"  Yes  Jennie,  I  see  a  difference,  and  I 
think,  so  do  you  ;  but  I  do  not  uphold  smok 
ing,  you  very  well  know." 

"  Yet  you  married  a  man  who  smokes  cigars 
every  day  of  his  life;  a  dozen  of  them,  for 
what  I  know.  I  wonder  you  would  be  guilty 
of  marrying  him  since  you  are  so  par 
ticular." 

"I  didn't  know  it." 

The  very  instant  that  she  had  said  those 
words  she  wished  them  unsaid.  Well  she 
might. 


166  The  Pocket  Measure. 

"  Didn't  know  it !  "  repeated  Jennie.  "  Well 
upon  my  word !  He  deceived  you,  then, 
this  paragon  of  a  husband  !  and  here  you  have 
been  rhapsodizing  to  me  over  the  bliss  of 
your  married  state !  Really,  Gallic,  I  don't 
think  3^011  ought  to  preach  any  more  to 
night." 

The  hair  was  bound  up  long  ago  for  the 
night,  and  Mrs.  Spafford  had  nothing  to  do 
with  her  eyes  but  to  give  Jennie  the  benefit 
of  the  blazing  light  in  them  but  her  voice 
was  quiet  enough. 

"  Perhaps  it  would  be  better  not  to  talk  any 
more  to-night,  since  we  seem  incapable  of  un 
derstanding  each  other.  You  ought  to  know 
that  my  husband  is  not  a  man  given  to  decep 
tion  of  any  sort,  at  any  time.  He  has  grown 
up  from  very  young  manhood  with  the  habit 
of  smoking  one  —  not  a  dozen  —  but  one  cigar 
a  day.  If  he  thought  anything  about  it,  he 
supposed  I  knew  it,  but  his  education  has  been 
different  from  mine  in  this  matter,  and  he  re 
gards  it  as  a  trivial  thing.  I  do  not,  and  had 
I  known  of  it  before  we  were  married,  we 
should  have  talked  about  it  together ;  since 


"Yet  Lackert  Thou ."  167 

I  did  not,  there  was  no  way  by  which  he  could 
discover  my  views.  But  you  know,  and  I  know, 
that  there  is  a  wide  difference  between  smok 
ing  a  cigar  a  day,  and  drinking  a  glass  of  wine 
a  day.  You  and  I  know  that  earnest  Christian 
men  of  to-day  do  the  one  with  impunity,  and 
the  other  almost  never.  I  think  neither  are 
right,  but  I  make  a  wide  path  between  the 
degrees  of  wrong.  But,  Jennie,  even  if  your 
sneer  was  a  true  one,  are  not  the  cases  very 
different?  You  are  a  younger  woman  than  I 
by  several  years ;  you  are  not  only  unmarried, 
but,  according  to  your  own  statement,  unbound 
by  any  pledges,  or  even  intentions ;  while  I  am 
married.  What  is  proper  for  me  to  say  in 
friendly  warning  or  suggestion  to  you,  about 
one  who  is  only  a  friend,  might  become  a 
gross  insult  for  you  to  say  to  me  about  the 
man  whom  I  have  sworn  to  love  and  honor  as 
long  as  my  life  lasts,  might  it  not  ?  " 

Said  Jennie :  "  Let's  "go  to  bed.  I'm  sick 
and  tired  of  the  whole  subject." 

And  the}-  went  to  bed. 


CHAPTER  X. 

"THEY     MEASURING     THEMSELVES     BY     THEM 
SELVES  ABE  NOT  WISE." 


MEANTIME,  could  you  have  looked  in 
at  Will  Coleman's  room,  you  would 
have  found  him,  one  evening,  reaching 
to  the  row  of  walnut  shelves  which  contained 
his  books,  and  bringing  therefrom  a  hand 
somely  bound  copy  of  the  Holy  Bible.  He 
surveyed  it  with  a  critical  eye,  then  blew  the 
dust  carefully  from  its  gilt  edges,  commenting 
the  while  after  this  fashion: 

"  My  landlady  doesn't  look  after  dust  much 
more  carefully  than  she  does  after  some  other 
things ;  that's  a  fact.  I  really  wish  she  would 

1 63 


"They  Are  Not  Wise,"  169 

take  better  care  of  these  books ;  I  don't  believe 
they  have  been  disturbed  in  a  week ! " 

Then  he  opened  it,  naturally  first,  to  the  fly 
leaves  ;  there  had  been  times  when  it  annoyed 
him  to  have  the  habit  of  looking  at  the  fly 
leaf  so  frequently  that  it  had  learned  appar 
ently  to  linger  of  its  own  accord.  There  was 
the  writing,  a  trifle  irregular,  as  though  by  a 
hand  which,  from  age  or  hard  work  or  emotion, 
trembled  a  little : 

"  To  iny  dear  son  William,  on  his  nineteenth 
birthday.  From  his  loving  mother,  Eunice 
Coleman."  Then,  underneath,  still  in  the  same, 
somewhat  unsteady  hand :  "  Search  the  Scrip 
tures,'  that  they  may  'make  you  wise  unto 
salvation,'  is  the  constant  prayer  of  your 
mother." 

It  is  a  sad  truth  that,  irreproachable  life  as 
he  had  lived,  there  had  been  times  when  Will 
Coleman  wished  heartily  that  his  Bible  would 
get  over  its  habit  of  opening  to  that  leaf;  for 
he  was  uncomfortably  conscious  that  in  certain 
things,  and  things  which  she  considered  vital, 
he  disappointed  his  mother.  He  opened  quickly 
into  the  middle  of  the  book,  having  no  desire 


170  The  Pocket  Measure. 

on  this  particular  evening,  to  linger  over  home 
memories  ;  besides,  he  was  curious  to  know  what 
verse  in  the  Bible  he  reminded  Mrs.  Spafford 
of.  It  was  several  days  since  he  had  made  a 
memorandum  of  the  verse ;  matters  which  he 
considered  of  more  importance  had  for  the 
time  being  driven  it  from  his  thoughts ;  now, 
although  he  was  dressing  for  an  evening  enter 
tainment,  having  come  in  contact  again  with 
the  memorandum,  he  paused  in  the  act  of  fast 
ening  his  cravat,  and  searched  *for  the  verse. 
Then  he  read  it  over  slowly,  carefully,  with  a 
deeply  flushing  face,  and  presently,  with  a 
curling  lip : 

"  The  Pharisee  stood  and  prayed  thus  with 
himself :  *  God,  I  thank  thee  that  I  am  not  as 
other  men  are.' " 

Not  exactly  his  language,  to  be  sure,  and 
certainly  never  addressed  to  God !  Yet  this 
young  man  was  fully  conscious  of  possessing  a 
sort  of  exultant  feeling  when  he  measured  his 
fair  life  with  that  of  many  —  he  was  almost  in 
clined  to  say  most  young  men.  He  knew  it 
was  irreproachable  from  a  dozen  standpoints, 
where  others,  who  made  more  pretensions  than 


"They  Are  Not  Wise."  171 

he,  failed.  "  I  fast  twice  in  the  week ;  I  give 
tithes  of  all  that  I  possess." 

Had  not  Mrs.  Spafford  more  than  once  heard 
him  say,  with  a  complacent  air  and  smile, 
that  he  was  as  regular  in  attendance  at  the 
young  people's  prayer-meeting  and  the  general 
prayer-meeting  as  the  minister  himself?  Had 
he  not,  in  the  presence  of  her  husband,  only 
last  week,  said,  with  a  smile  and  a  bow,  "  Cer 
tainly,  I  always  lay  aside  a  trifle  for  that  pur 
pose,"  in  response  to  a  paper  which  was  pre 
sented  him  for  some  benevolent  object.  A 
paper,  too,  that  had  just  been  peremptorily,  not 
to  say  haughtily,  refused  by  his  employer,  him 
self  a  church-member?  Young  Coleman  felt 
the  blood  coursing  through  his  veins  in  a  very 
unpleasant  manner. 

"Well,"  he  told  himself,  "what  if  I  have 
said  those  things  ?  Aren't  they'  true,  I  should 
like  to  know  ?  What  does  Callie  Ho  well  mean 
by  calling  me  a  hypocrite  ?  Whatever  may  be 
said  of  me,  I  certainly  am  not  that.  Thank 
goodness,  I  make  no  professions  that  I  don't 
live  up  to ;  and  that  is  more  than  can  be  said 
of  two-thirds  of  the  church-members."  There 


172  The  Pocket  Measure. 

it  was  again :  he  thought  of  it  even  while  he 
was  excusing  himself  to  himself:  "  God,  1  thank 
thee  that  I  am  not  as  other  men."  Was  he 
actually  disposed  to  say  that  to  God?  If  he 
prayed  at  all,  would  such  be  the  language  of 
his  prayer  ?  Strangely  fascinated  by  the  simple 
story,  he  read  on  : 

"And  the  publican,  standing  afar  off,  would 
not  lift  up  so  much  as  his  eyes  unto  heaven, 
but  smote  upon  his  breast,  saying,  '  God  be 
merciful  to  me,  a  sinner.'  I  tell  you  this  man 
went  down  to  his  house  justified  rather  than 
the  other;  for  every  one  that  exalteth  himself 
shall  be  abased,  and  he  that  humbleth  himself 
shall  be  exalted." 

Then  all  the  pride  in  this  young  man's  heart 
rose  up  in  rebellion,  and  his  lip  curled  in  scorn. 
He  did  not  believe  that  he  was  a  sinner  !  That 
is,  not  much  of  a  sinner  ;  a  nice  respectable  one 
he  was,  he  supposed,  judged  by. certain  narrow 
theological  rules,  but  not  .such  an  one  as  would 
make  the  language  of  that  prayer  applicable 
to  him.  Certainly,  if  to  be  what  people  like 
his  mother  and  Gallic  Howell  called  Chris 
tians,  it  was  necessary  to  use  such  language  as 


"They  Are  Not  Wise."  173 

that,  he  couldn't  see  how  he  could  ever  accom 
modate  them  by  being  one.  "  For  I  honestly 
don't  feel  it,  so  how  can  I  say  it?"  he  said 
aloud,  adding,  "  Thank  goodness,  I'm  no  hypo 
crite."  Then  he  closed  the  Bible  with  a  bang, 
and  went  on  with  his  interrupted  toilet  in  hot 
haste,  and  it  was  that  evening  that  Jennie 
West  had  been  obliged  to  labor  with  him  to 
convince  him  that  Mrs.  Spafford  had  not  meant 
a  word  she  said. 

Then  was  this  the  end  of  Mrs.  Spafford's 
effort  to  speak  a  plain  word  to  the  young 
man  ?  It  was  by  no  means  the  end,  though 
Will  Coleman  did  his  best  to  make  an  end 
to  the  matter.  He  grew  angry  exceedingly 
over  the  persistency  with  which  those  verses 
clung  to  him,  starting  up  to  repeat  themselves 
on  the  slightest  provocation,  until  all  comfort 
in  his  superiority  was  well-nigh  quoted  out  of 
this  young  man. 

It  was,  perhaps,  nearly  a  week  afterward  that 
he  seated  himself  deliberately  in  his  room,  one 
evening,  with  a  determination  to  think  this 
whole  matter  out  and  be  done  with  it. 

What  was  there   in   it  all  that  so  annoyed 


174  The  Pocket  Measure. 

him  ?  When  he  really  sifted  out  the  truth, 
Mrs.  Spafford  had  not  told  him  he  was 
hypocritical,  she  had  merely  said  he  reminded 
her  of  the  man  who  was  better  than  his  neigh 
bors  ;  no,  Mrho  thought  himself  better.  This 
was  a  sore  spot;  here  he  winced.  Was  he, 
then,  mistaken  in  his  estimate  of  himself, 
and  did  his  better  self  really  recognize  it,  and 
did  that  make  the  hurt?  In  truth,  Will 
Coleman  was  puzzled  over  his  own  heart ! 

"I  am  better,"  he  boldly  declared,  and 
he  said  it  aloud.  "  Now,  what's  the  use  in 
mincing  matters?  I'm  ahead  of  all  those 
fellows  who  belong  to  the  church  and  they 
know  it ;  why  shouldn't  I  ?  Why  should  I 
be  expected  to  go  around  smiting  my  breast, 
and  calling  myself  a  miserable  sinner,  when 
I  am  no  such  thing  ?  " 

No  sooner  had  he  said  the  words  than 
that  hot,  convicting  blush  rolled  into  his 
cheek  again.  Away  back  in  his  childhood 
there  had  been  a  Sabbath  afternoon  when  he 
stood  at  his  mother's  knee  and  recited  his 
verse,  preparatory  to  going  to  Sabbath- 
school  : 


"They  Are  Not  Wise."  175 

"Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  th}'  God  with 
all  thy  heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with 
all  thy  strength,  and  with  all  thy  mind." 

"  Willie,"  the  mother  had  said,  "  do  you 
understand  that  verse  ?  " 

""Yes'rii,"  had  Willy  replied  with  the  de 
licious  indifference  of  childhood  to  the  deeper 
meanings  of  the  truth.  But  the  mother  had 
continued  : 

"You  see,  Willie,  whatever  else  you  may 
do,  however  obedient  you  may  be  to  mamma, 
and  kind  to  the  poor,  and  good-natured  and 
all  that,  if  you  don't  love  God,  love  him  so 
much  that  you  will  want  to  please  him  all 
the  time,  want  to  find  out  his  will,  it  all 
goes  for  nothing." 

This  idea  in  varied  language  had  been  taught 
him  so  thoroughly  that  there  was  no  use 
in  these,  his  later  days,  of  trying  to  ignore 
it,  and  act  as  one  who  had  not  been  taught. 
The  question  was,  did  he  wish  to  swing  loose 
from  the  teachings  of  his  childhood  as  one 
who  had  grown  beyond  them  ?  No,  he  had 
no  wish  of  this  kind. 

Fortunately  for  him,  his  education  had  been 


176  The  Pocket  Measure. 

fair,  and  he  was  possessed  of  fair  average  tal 
ent,  was  an  average  logician,  had  looked 
into  the  various  isms  of  the  day,  deep  enough 
to  see  their  utter  want  of  logic  and  common- 
sense,  and  had  smiled  in  a  superior  manner 
on  them  all.  "A  man  who  is  an  infidel  is 
a  fool,"  had  been  his  composed  and  satisfactory 
method  of  sweeping  away  all  these  ideas  from 
his  brain.  He  went  farther  than  this,  he  took 
rather  more  than  a  superficial  look  into  the 
evidences  of  Christianity,  the  authenticity  of 
the  Scriptures,  arid  kindred  studies,  the  con 
sequence  being  that  he  asserted  emphatically, 
"  the  man  who  rejects  the  Bible  is  a  fool !  " 
On  occasion  he  could  argue  in  favor  of  these 
positions,  and  argue  well.  He  was  rather 
fond  of  arguing.  Is  it  strange,  then,  when 
he  deliberately  for  almost  the  first  time  in 
his  life  sat  himself  down  to  give  the  matter 
earnest  thought,  that  a  voice  at  his  elbow 
seemed  to  repeat  the  sentence:  "Out  of 
thine  own  mouth  will  I  condemn  thee?" 

Was  it  a  bit  of  bewildering  sophistry,  or  was 
it  solemn  truth  and  the  deep  conviction  of  his 
own  conscience  that  seemed  to  oblige  him, 


"They  Are  Not  Wise:'  177 

reasoning  from  analogy,  to  say :  "  The  man 
who,  believing  fully  in  the  Bible,  and  in  Christ 
as  he  is  revealed  in  the  Bible,  fails  to  follow  his 
plain  directions,  is  a  fool ! "  Was  it  possible 
that  he,  Will  Coleman,  the  gentleman  and  the 
logician,  was  obliged  by  the  force  of  his  own 
logic  to  condemn  his  hitherto  much  admired 
course  in  life  ?  He  shifted  his  position  impa 
tiently  and  tried  to  rid  himself  of  his  conclusion. 
"  What  folly !  "  he  said  aloud.  "  What  utter 
folly,  anyway  !  As  if  a  man  could  will  himself 
to  love  a  being.  I  don't  love  God ;  I  suppose 
there  is  really  no  doubt  of  that ;  such  being 
the  case,  how  am  I  to  help  it?"  But  those 
Bible  verses,  recited  at  his  faithful  mother's 
knee,  recited  again  and  again  to  a  faithful  Sab 
bath-school  teacher,  but  dimly  understood  then, 
even  with  the  most  careful  explanation,  clear 
as  sunlight  to-day,  trooped  up  before  him.  "  A 
new  heart  will  I  give  you,  saith  the  Lord,  and 
a  new  spirit  will  I  put  within  you."  "  You 
hath  he  quickened  who  were  dead  in  trespasses 
and  sins."  "  If  any  man  be  in  Christ  he  is  a 
new  creature."  Will  Coleman  had  been  en 
tirely  familiar  with  the  theory  of  conversion 


178  The  Pocket  Measure. 

almost  since  his  babyhood.  He  knew  per 
fectly  well  that  his  affections,  so  far  as  God  was 
concerned,  were  dead,  that  he  was  powerless  to 
move  them,  that  they  needed  a  resurrection, 
and  that  it  was  the  Spirit  that  quickened.  He 
knew  also,  that  this  quickening,  according  to 
the  unalterable  laws  of  the  unchanging  God 
would  never  take  place  until  he  himself  delib 
erately  went  to  God  through  Christ,  and  iisked 
for  new  life  in  his  soul.  "  Ask  and  ye  shall 
receive,"  he  knew  and  believed  that  it  was  just 
as  simple  as  that.  Yet  he  had  never  asked ! 
Why  not  ?  The  simple  and  unpalatable  truth 
that  stared  him  in  the  face  was  because  he  did 
not  desire.  He  actually  did  not  want  to  love 
God. 

Then  he  shifted  his  argument,  or  tried  to. 
"Well,"  pettishly,  as  a  spoiled  child  might 
answer  one  who  was  arguing  with  him,  "  how 
can  I  help  that  ?  If  1  don't  want  to,  I  don't. 
Shall  I  pretend  that  I  do  ? "  Even  as  he  said 
it,  his  face  flushed,  and  he  was  sensible  of  being 
glad  that  no  one  was  by  to  hear  such  folly. 
Instantly  his  reasoning  mind  took  up  a  parallel 
and  showed  it  to  him : 


"They  Are  Not  Wise"  179 

"  I  don't  want  to  go  to  the  store  to-day ;  shall 
I  then  go,  and  thus  be  gnilty  of  pretending 
that  I  do  ?  Is  this  matter  of  going  to  the  store 
a  duty  ?  If  it  is,  shall  I  be  so  puerile  as  to 
shake  it  off,  and  stay  at  home,  because  I  happen 
not  to  want  to  go  ? "  What  have  whims  to 
do  with  a  reasonable  man's  business?  Since 
he  was  a  reasoning  being,  could  he  avoid  see 
ing  where  such  logic  led  him?  "I  ought  to 
go  to  God  on  my  knees,  and  tell  him  frankly 
that  I  see  the  way  clear  enough;  I  see  that 
I  am  not  a  Christian,  and  that  I  ought  to  be, 
and  that  I  have  no  special  desire  to  be,  and  let 
him  do  with  me  as  he  will.  Shall  I  do  it  ? " 

Awful  question  !  "  I  ought  to  give  back 
this  thousand  dollar  draft  which  I  have  stolen. 
Shall  I?" 

When  a  young  man  reaches  the  point  where 
he  will  deliberately  say,  "  I  ought,"  and  then 
questions,  "  Shall  I  ?  "  he  is  trying  to  stand  on 
slippery  places.  Not  for  one  instant  would 
Will  Coleman  have  put  the  claims  of  the  owner 
of  a  stolen  draft  in  the  balance  and  weighed 
them  thus,  but  the  claims  of  the  Son  of  God 
he  hesitated  and  argued  over.  As  he  walked 


180  The  Pocket  Measure. 

the  floor  and  thought  of  the  matter,  he  found 
himself  unwilling  to  say  "  I  will  do  it."  And 
yet,  so  clear  was  his  sense  of  danger,  almost 
equally  unwilling  to  say,  "  I  will  not  do  it." 
When  Satan  cannot  succeed  in  making  delib 
erate  decisions  on  his  side,  he  at  once  suggests 
compromise.  "What  is  the  use  in  trying  to 
settle  such  an  important  question  as  this  to 
night?  Suppose  I  sleep  over  it?  Suppose  I 
talk  it  over  with  some  one  to-morrow  ?  Some 
Christian  ?  " 

"  What  for  ?  "  asked  his  conscience.  "  Isn't 
the  way  perfectly  plain  to  you  ?  " 

"  Hush  !  "  said  he  sternly,  to  his  conscience. 
"I  will  not  be  driven.  To-morrow  evening 
will  be  the  prayer-meeting  ;  I  will  go,  as  usual ; 
I  will  talk  the  whole  matter  over  with  some 
one  in  a  reasonable  manner,  and  settle  it  once 
for  all." 

"  Suppose  you  make  that  long-promised  call 
on  Mrs.  Spafford,"  hinted  a  voice  which  he 
did  not  recognize  as  conscience.  "  You  have 
always  respected  her  religion,  and  you  know 
you  respect  her  brains." 

"You  don't  want  to  talk  with  Mrs.  Spafford," 


"They  Are  Not  Wise."  181 

said  that  mysterious  other  voice  which  seemed 
somehow  to  be  gaining  control  of  him.  "  She 
is  almost  fanatical  in  her  notions.  You  know 
that  Jennie  West  laughs  at  them,  friend  and 
admirer  though  she  is.  What  is  to  hinder 
your  having  a  serious  talk  with  Jennie  West  ? 
You  never  give  her  any  opportunity  to  talk 
about  these  matters  with  you.  What  right 
have  you  to  conclude  that  she  is  not  as  deeply 
interested  in  you  as  Mrs.  Spafford  is,  though 
she  doesn't  keep  harping  on  the  subject  all 
the  while.  Mrs.  Spafford,  remember,  as  good 
as  called  you  a  hypocrite.  Perhaps  if  you 
should  go  to  her  she  would  think  you  were 
just  talking  for  effect." 

"I'll  do  it,"  he  said  aloud,  relieved  that 
some  decision  had  been  reached,  ignoring  mean 
time  the  last  suggestion,  because  he  did  not 
want  to  look  closely  into  this  plan  of  talking 
the  matter  over  with  any  one,  for  fear  it  would 
be  made  apparent  to  his  own  inner  conscious 
ness  that  effect  or  delay,  or  something  of  that 
sort,  was  precisely  what  he  was  after. 

"  I'll  write  a  note  to  Miss  Jennie  and  ask 
her  to  accompany  me  to  the  prayer-meeting  to- 


182  .The  Pocket  Measure. 

morrow  evening.  She  never  goes  when  she  is 
up  here  ;  I  suppose  because  she  has  no  one  to 
go  with.  Mrs.  Evans  never  thinks  of  going. 
She  is  another  of  your  church-members  !  Jen 
nie  will  be  glad  to  go,  and  then  she  and  I 
will  talk  this  thing  up.  I'd  like  to  have  Jennie 
talk  to  me.  I  suppose  Mrs.  Spafford  has  given 
her  reason  to  think  that  I  am  not  a  safe  person 
to  talk  with  about  these  matters,  she  has  such 
a  poor  opinion  of  me." 

And  there  floated  through  this  strange  young 
man's  brain  a  notion  that  for  one  reason  he 
could  almost  say  he  would  like  to  be  a  Chris 
tian,  just  to  show  people  a  few  things.  If  he 
ever  was  converted,  he  told  himself,  he  would 
certainly  show  that  same  Mrs.  Spafford  that 
lie  was  altogether  a  different  sort  of  a  Christian 
from  her  cigar-smoking  husband,  who  could 
be  detained  in  the  city  until  after  time  for 
prayer-meeting  just  as  well  as  not,  and  who 
staid  at.  home  from  church  on  Sunday  with 
headache  occasionally.  He  always  had  a  sneer 
for  Sunday  headache  Christians,  did  this  young 
man,  and  there  is  an  excusing  word  to  be 
spoken  for  him,  too.  During  his  short  life  he 


"They  Are  Not  Wise."  183 

had  come  in  contact  with  so  many  of  them ! 
Not  that  Warren  Spafford  by  any  means  be- 
lon^ed  to  the  class  with  which  he  had  been 

O 

Ltmiliar,  but  it  is  often  the  case  in  this  narrow- 
visioned  world  that  people  are  classified  who 
do  not  in  the  least  belong  together. 

Young  Coleman  ceased  his  nervous  walk  up 
and  down  his  somewhat  narrow  quarters, 
opened  his  writing-desk,  selected  the  most 
delicately-perfumed  sheet  of  note  paper  he 
possessed,  and  proceeded,  with  a  chirography 
that  was  almost  as  beautiful  as  copper-plate 
to  prepare  his  note : 

"  Miss  Jennie  West :  Dear  Friend  :  —  Can 
you  be  prevailed  upon  to  give  me  the  pleasure 
of  your  company  to-morrow  evening  ? Both 
eration  ! "  That  word  is  not  included  in  the 
formula  that  was  being  written.  It  was  an 
nounced  in  explosive  tones  by  the  writer,  the 
immediate  cause  being  that,  as  he  had  the 
misfortune  to  be  located  in  the  second  story 
back  of  the  boarding  house,  where  the  gas  did 
not  come,  he  was  making  use  of  a  kerosene 
lamp,  which  at  that  inopportune  moment  sud 
denly  dimmed,  halted  irresolutely  for  a  second 


184  The  Pocket  Measure. 

then  disappeared,  leaving  him  in  total  darkness. 
After  which,  as  a  matter  of  dire  necessity,  the 
hour  being  late,  he  stumbled  and  grumbled 
himself  to  bed. 


CHAPTER  XL 

PERFECT  LOVE  CASTETH  OUT  FEAR. 

& 

»T  was  with  a  great  many  little  inward 
flutters  of  satisfaction  that  Mrs.  Spafford 
went  about  her  small  house  one  Thurs 
day,  making  preparations  for  leaving  it  to 
its  own  quiet  for  a  few  hours.  Perhaps  it  is 
one  of  the  compensations  to  those  who  live 
simple,  quiet  lives,  that  small  pleasures  are 
intensified  and  enjoyed  with  a  zest  that 
persons  who  live  in  excitement  know  nothing 
about.  The  mere  going  down  town  of  a 
pleasant  afternoon,  and  returning  again  with 
her  husband,  was  an  event  in  Mrs.  Spafford's 
life,  for  street-car  fares  were  guarded  care 
fully,  therefore  it  fell  to  her  lot  to  go  rarely. 
185 


186  The  Pocket  Measure. 

i 

She  had  determined,  however,  to  avail  her 
self  of  Mrs.  Temple's  invitation  and  attend 
the  missionary  meeting.  Despite  her  husband's 
revelation  as  to  Mrs.  Temple's  social  status, 
the  youthful  matron  felt  that  one  of  the  thrills 
of  satisfaction  proceeded  from  the  thought 
of  meeting  that  lady  again. 

"  I  can't  help  it  if  she  is  rich,"  she  said 
to  herself,  with  a  happy  smile,  as  she  arrayed 
herself  for  the  street.  "She  is  very  pleasant 
and  cordial,  and  I  am  going  to  like  her  just 
as  much  as  I  want  to.  What  an  absurd  idea 
that  because  she  is  rich  and  I  am  poor,  there 
should  necessarily  be  a  gulf  between  us ! 
Besides,  I'm  not  poor ;  I  hardly  know  of  a 
person  who  is  less  so." 

I  am  not  sure  that  I  .can  explain  to  you 
what  a  sense  of  satisfaction  it  gave  Mrs. 
Spafford  to  be  greeted  among  that  company 
of  Christian  women.  Directly  she  entered 
the  church  she  felt  it  —  that  subtle  atmosphere 
of  congeniality.  She  was  at  home.  She  was 
in  sympathy  witli  the  words  that  were  being 
read  from  the  Bible.  She  was  in  sympathy 
with  the  prayer  that  followed  —  the  sweet, 


Perfect  Love  Oasteth  out  Fear.          187 

clear-voiced  petitioner  was  her  new-found  friend, 
Mrs.  Temple.  As  she  rose  from  her  knees 
she  rejoiced  over  the  thought  that  all  these 
grand,  good  women  were  friends.  The  truth 
is,  if  you  are  in  sympathy  with  the  atmos 
phere  which  surrounded  her,  you  will  know 
all  about  what  she  felt  in  being  led  into  the 
circle  of  Christian  sisterhood.  If  you  are 
not,  no  words  of  mine  can  possibly  make 
it  plain  to  you.  Still,  life  did  not  go  smoothly 
even  here.  It  transpired  that  there  was  some 
thing,  some  duty  to  perform,  which  in  itself 
Mrs.  Spafford  judged  must  be  a  severe  ordeal ; 
for,  during  the  singing  of  the  hymn, 

"  Must  Jesus  bear  the  cross  alone, 

And  all  the  world  go  free  ? 
No,  there's  a  cross  for  every  one, 

And  there's  a  cross  for  me," 

Mrs.  Temple  slipped  softly  from  one  to  an 
other  and  preferred  some  request,  which  Mrs. 
Spafford,  interested  as  she  was  in  the  hymn, 
and  joining  in  it  as  she  did  with  the  full 
strength  of  her  cultured  voice,  could  not  but 


188  The  Pocket  Measure. 

see  met  with  demur,  with  shruggings  of  shoul 
ders,  with  distressed  negatives,  and,  as  the 
petitioner  plead,  the  refusals  became  more 
emphatic  in  manner,  until  one  and  another, 
and  yet  another  lady  had  been  interviewed, 
with  the  same  result.  What  could  be  wanted  ? 
She  was  soon  destined  to  know,  for  Mrs. 
Temple,  raised  her  head  with  a  troubled  air, 
and  looking  about  her  irresolutely  as  they 
began  the  third  verse  of  the  hymn,  spied  her 
new  acquaintance  and  came  speedily  toward 
her. 

"  I'm  so  glad  to  see  you  /'  she  whispered, 
with  a  cordial  hand-clasp.  "  And  I  do  wonder 
if  the  dear  Lord  has  not  sent  you  to  me  just 
now  as  a  helper?  Dear  Mrs.  Spafford,  I  am 
in  an  embarrassing  dilemma.  Several  of  our 
ladies,  who  are  nearly  always  present,  strangely 
enough  are  absent  this  afternoon,  and  I  have 
really  no  one  on  whom  to  depend.  Wouldn't 
you  be  so  kind  —  I  know  it  is  too  hard  to 
ask  you,  at  your  first  coming,  and  you  an 
entire  stranger  in  our  midst  —  but  if  you 
would  feel  that  you  could  offer  prayer  with 
us  I  would  be  so  glad." 


Perfect  Love  Castcth  out  Fear.          189 

Now,  I  shall  have  to  admit  to  you  that 
Mrs.  Spafford  was  startled  and  embarrassed. 
It  was  a  new  experience  to  her.  She  felt 
the  hot  blood  mounting  in  waves  to  her  fore 
head,  and  knew  that  the  hand  which  Mrs. 
Temple  still  held  trembled  visibly. 

'.'Poor  child,"  said  Mrs.  Temple  soothingly, 
as  one  who  was  more  than  twenty  years  her 
senior  had  a  right  to  speak  to  the  young  matron. 
"It  is  too  hard;  I  ought  not  to  ask  you." 

Yet  Mrs.  Spafford's  embarrassment  did 
not  proceed  from  the  source  to  which  it  was 
credited.  She  was  astonished  and  perplexed 
to  discover  that  the  cross  which  was  pressing 
so  heavily  on  this  company  of  Christian  women 
was  simply  to  present  their  desires  to  their 
loving,  sympathizing,  all-powerful  Lord !  How 
could  they  shrink  from  it  in  this  way  ?  What 
was  there  that  should  be  expected  to  so 
disturb  her  ?  Was  it  something  different  from 
prayer  —  more  than  prayer  that  they  wanted  ? 
Was  it  expected  that  a  missionary  prayer 
should  make  wise  reference  to  the  different 
mission  stations  and  their  work,  and  present 
intelligently  the  special  needs  of  each  field? 


190  The  Pocket  Measure. 

That  indeed  she  could  not  do,  and  she  re 
cognized  a  chance  for  embarrassment  in  the 
admission  of  the  fact  that  she,  a  woman  and  a 
Christian  in  this  nineteenth  century,  was  not 
posted.  But  then,  immediately  she  reflected 
that  prayer  was  different  from  any  other  ex 
ercise,  in  that  the  one  addressed  needed  -no 
information,  was  thoroughly  acquainted  with 
the  needs  of  all  mission  fields  and  the  desires 
of  all  human  hearts,  and  yet  had  chosen  that 
the  heart-cry  should  go  out  from  his  children, 
"  O  Lord,  thou  knowest.  Do  unto  us  even  as 
thou  hast  said." 

Mrs.  Spafford,  though  lamentably  conscious 
of  her  ignorance  as  regarded  the  work  of  for 
eign  missions,  yet  knew  that  her  heart  desired 
their  greatest  good,  and  was  acquainted  with 
the  One  to  whom  to  bring  their  case.  Why, 
then,  should  it  be  considered  so  serious  a 
thing  ?  Thought  is  not  unlike  chain  lightning, 
you  know,  and  while  they  were  singing  one 
line  of  the  hymn,  now  alarmingly  near  its  close, 
this  woman  had  gone  over  the  ground  at  which 
I  have  hinted,  and  ^come  back  to  her  starting- 
point. 


Perfect  Love  Casteth  out  Fear.          191 

"What  is  it  you  want,  Mrs.  Temple?  A 
specific  prayer  for  some  special  mission  and  its 
workers,  mentioning  them  by  name  ?  Because, 
if  you  do,  I  am  ashamed  to  tell  you  that  I 
do  not  understand  the  work  well  enough  to 
lead  you." 

"  Oh,  my  dear  child,  no  !  We  do  not  want 
an  address  in  the  form  of  a  prayer;  we  want 
simply  to  have  our  hearts  brought  close  to  the 
heart  of  Christ,  and  his  help  asked  for  this 
meeting  this  day." 

"Then  I  will  be  glad  to  pray,"  said  Mrs. 
Spafford,  simply,  and  she  did  k  not  know  that 
she  was  saying  a  strange  thing.  She  had  Jived 
in  another  world  than  theirs ;  she  had  been 
brought  'up  with  a  mother,  with  whom  to  pray 
was  to  talk  with  a  clear  and  familiar  Friend. 
She  had  attended  from  her  earlier  girlhood  a 
weekly  prayer-meeting  with  her  mother  where 
the  ladies  prayed  together  precisely  as  they 
talked  together,  feeling  no  more  embarrassment 
in  the  one  instance  than  in  the  other.  She  had 
begun  by  feeling  a  degree  of  nervous  tremor, 
it  is  true,  at  the  sound  of  her  own  voice  before 
so  many;  but  there  had  been  no  great  gulf 


192  The  Pocket  Measure. 

placed  between  the  thought  of  conversing  before 
others  and  the  thought  of  praying  before  them. 
Indeed,  Gallic  Howell,  when  a  girl  of  sixteen, 
had  expressed  herself  naively  to  her  mother 
after  this  fashion : 

"  Wiry,  mother  I  would  rather  pray  than  say 
anything  to  the  people  about  any  particular  sub 
ject,  because  one  cannot  help  thinking  that 
they  may  criticise  the  way  you  are  saying  it, 
or  the  thought  itself,  but  of  course  I  remember 
that  Jesus  Christ  never  criticises  my  prayer, 
and  that  the  people  are  all  engaged  in  speaking 
to  him  at  the  same  time,  and  therefore  are 
not  thinking  of  me." 

As  a  .teacher  it  had  for  3*ears  been  her  privi 
lege  to  lead  young  ladies'  prayer-circles  ;  pre 
sent  for  many  a  timid  heart  its  cry  for  help,  its 
burden  of  sorrow,  until  prayer  had  come  to  be 
to  her  what  it  ought  to  be  to  every  human 
heart,  a  privilege  and  a  joy.  Her  embarrass 
ment  you  will  perceive  arose  simply  and  solely 
from  astonishment  over  the  thought  that  she 
was  expected  to  consider  a  cross  and  a  trial  what 
was  to  her  a  joy.  A  curious  suggestion  that 
perhaps  she  ought  not  to  feel  so  ready  to  offer, 


Perfect  Love  Casteth  out  Fear.          193 

that  which  others,  so  much  older  and  wiser, 
and  in  every  sense  better  than  herself,  visibly 
shrank  from,  presented  itself  to  haunt  her.  If 
Satan  could  command  a  moment  of  admira 
tion  from  any  of  his  tempest-tossed  victims,  it 
would  surely  be  on  account  of  his  unwearying 
ingenuity. 

Of  course  the  matter  was  all  settled  in  much 
less  time  than  it  has  taken  me  to  present  its 
phases  to  you,  and  Mrs.  Spafford  received  Mrs. 
Temple's  relieved,  "  Oh,  thank  you,  my  dear," 
and  she  had  heard  her  name  called  as  one 
who  would  lead  them  in  prayer,  and  she  had 
bowed  with  the  rest,  and  for  the  first  two  or 
three  sentences  her  heart  kept  up  its  question 
ing  tumult,  and  well-nigh  drove  her  from  her 
refuge.  Then  the  force  of  habit  and  the  force 
of  will  asserted  themselves — nay,  rather  the 
Spirit  brooded  over  her,  "  helped  her  infirmi 
ties,"  and  she  was  enabled  to  shut  them  all 
out,  all  the  questionings  and  embarrassments, 
and  come  as  a  child  to  its  father  with  her  sim 
ple  call,  "  putting  him  in  remembrance "  of  all 
the  great  array  of  promises  wherewith  he  had 


194  The  Pocket  Measure. 

pillared  her  faith  since  her  reasoning  powers 
began. 

The  prayer  was  very  simple,  very  indefinite 
so  far  as  regarded  the  special  mission  field  un 
der  consideration.  But  even  here  the  suppliant 
was  true  to  her  true  self,  and  made  bold  con 
fession  :  "  Dear  Lord,  thou  kriowest  that  I 
know  almost  nothing  about  this  great  Africa 
which  we  remember  before  thee  to-day.  I  con 
fess  with  shame  my  ignorance  of  what  has 
been  done  or  is  doing,  or  of  what  thy  minis 
ters  or  handmaidens  stand  in  special  need  of 
there,  save  that  I  know  they  need  our  prayers  ; 
but  these  thy  servants  who  have  taken  up  the 
work  here  at  home  know  all  about  the  field, 
and  all  its  pressing  needs  and  obstacles  and 
triumphs,  and  I  pray  thee  take  from  each  heart 
before  thee  its  special  burden  for  this  portion 
of  thy  field,  and  give  to  them  a  song  of  assur 
ance  that  thou  wilt  '  remember  thy  covenant.'  v 

I  wonder  how  many  of  "  those  his  servants  " 
gathered  in  that  room,  listening  to  that  prayer, 
felt  their  cheeks  burn  with  the  thought  that 
they  knew  extremely  little  about  Africa  or  its 
missionaries,  and  were  not  conscious  of  any 


Perfect  Love  Casteth  out  Fear.  195 

special  burdens  for  the  Lord  to  lift.  What  was 
there  in  that  prayer  to  move  so  many  of  those 
ladies  to  tears? 

It  was  as  simple  as  a  child's  and  as  direct. 
Perhaps  therein  lay  the  secret.  It  had  its  reflex 
influence  on  Mrs.  Spafford.  She  was  mortified 
and  grieved  to  realize  that  she  knew  so  little 
about  the  foreign  work.  The  barest  general 
outlines  were  all  that  she  felt  safe  in  referring 
to.  The  Gaboon  Mission,  with  its  different  sta 
tions  and  strange-sounding  names,  were  all 
unfamiliar ;  the  names  and  circumstances  of  the 
missionaries  stationed  there  she  only  knew  in 
a  shadowy  sort  of  way.  Even  "dear  Mr.  Bush- 
nell,"  to  whom  some  of  the  ladies  so  constantly 
referred  in  their  reports,  as  though  he  were 
inseparably  intertwined  with  every  fiber  of  the 
mission,  was  a  name  known  to  Mrs.  Spafford 
only  by  seeing  brief  extracts  from  his  letters 
at  long  intervals.  Her's  had  been  in  a  sense 
a  missionary  life,  in  that  she  had  been  for  years 
spreading  the  news,  and  yet  she  realized  now, 
as  never  before,  that  she  had  confined  her 
thoughts  and  her  aims  almost  entirely  to  the 
home  work.  So  had  her  mother  before  her. 


196  The  Pocket  Measure. 

"Why  did  mother  do  it?"  she  asked  herself 
with  glowing  cheeks,  as  the  talk  went  on,  for 
those  ladies,  strange  to  say,  were  ready  to  read 
their  papers,  and  outline  their  maps,  and  give 
their  incidents,  and  talk  glibly  and  well  of  the 
work  in  Africa,  although  they  could  not  pray. 

All  this  seemed  strange  to  Mrs.  Spafford  ;  to 
her,  prayer  was  the  first  letter  in  the  alphabet 
of  missions,  and  these  ladies  almost  seemed  to 
have  skipped  it,  and  reached  the  middle.  "  Not 
that  they  do  not  pray,  of  course ! "  she  said, 
horrified  at  her  own  conclusion.  "  But  then  it 
seems  so  strange  that  they  know  so  much  about 
it  all,  and  can  talk  together  so  well,  and  can 
not  talk  with  Him  !  " 

Then  she  tried  to  find  explanation  for  her 
mother's  course.  Surely  she  had  been  inter 
ested  in  foreign  mission  work.  For  what  por 
tion  of  the  Lord's  vineyard  was  there  with 
which  the  dear  mother's  heart  had  not  throbbed 
in  sympathy  ?  Then  she  reflected  that  her 
mother's  life  for  many  years  had  been  that  of 
a  secluded  invalid,  that  their  means  had  been 
limited,  that  current  literature  had  been,  espec 
ially  in  the  latter  years,  somewhat  scarce.  "  She 


•    Perfect  Love  Casteth  out  Fear.  197 

was  dependant  on  me  for  information  as  to 
what  the  Church  was  doing,"  this  daughter 
told  herself,  reproachfully;  "and  how  meager 
my  knowledge  was  !  There  were  no  "  Woman's 
Boards  "  then.  Oh,  mother,  if  you  had  lived, 
how  eagerly  would  you  have  joined  hands  with 
this  movement !  How  cruel  your  daughter  was 
not  to  keep  you  in  full  communication  with 
what  the  Church  was  doing ! M  Thus  far,  in 
sad  self-reproach,  and  an  unutterable  longing 
for  the  presence  of  the  mother  whose  heart  had 
responded  to  every  call  of  the  Master  as  fast  as 
she  had  heard ;  and  then  did  this  troubled  heart 
suddenly  remember,  with  a  glow  of  comfort, 
that  the  dear  mother  was  now  in  the  presence 
of  the  Shepherd,  and  he  could  tell  her  all 
about  the  field;  and  who  shall  say  that  he 
could  not  give  her  willing  heart  special  work 
to  do  for  him  there? 

Directly  the  formal  meeting  was  concluded, 
Mrs.  Temple  came  again  to  the  novice  who  had 
so  simply  and  readily  "  taken  up  her  cross." 
She  thanked  her  again  with  a  warmth  that 
embarrassed  Mrs.  Spafford ;  she  introduced  her 
to  a  host  of  eager  ladies,  those  from  whose 


198  The  Pocket  Measure. 

lips  the  unfamiliar  African  names  had  rolled 
so  readily.  And  the  little  lady  improved  the 
opportunity  to  ask  numberless  questions.  What 
books  or  papers  did  she  need  in  order  to 
post  herself  about  these  places?  Where  was 
"  Woman's  Work  "  to  be  had  ?  What  was  its 
expense?  How  should  she  secure  the  names 
and  addresses  of  missionaries  ?  Was  there  a 
missionary  library  connected  with  this  church, 
or  this  organization? 

"  No,  but  upon  my  word  there  ought  to  be," 
said  one  of  the  ladies,  struck  with  the  wisdom 
of  the  question.  "  That  is  really  an  excellent 
idea;  we  ought  to  take  it  into  immediate  con 
sideration." 

Then  another : 

"  Oh,  Mrs.  Spafford,  you  must  organize  your 
church ;  I  have  been  hoping  to  hear  from  that 
church  in  your  ward  this  long  time.  I've  been 
trying  to  get  my  friend,  Mrs.  Bacon,  interested ; 
she  is  the  only  acquaintance  I  have  so  far  up 
town.  I  haven't  got  her  started  yet ;  but  we 
shall  have  hopes  of  her  now ;  you  will  enthuse 
her,  and  all  the  rest." 

"  I  don't  know,"  said  Mrs.  Spafford,  smiling 


Perfect  Love  Casteth  out  Fear.          199 

a  little,  though  there  were  tears  in  her  eyes ; 
"  I  think  I  need  an  infusion  of  general  intelli 
gence.  I  never  realized  before  that  I  was  so 
utterly  ignorant  on  the  subject  of  missions. 
Why,  I  always  supposed  I  was  interested.  I 
have  prayed  for  missions  ever  since  I  was  born, 
and  really  I  never  knew  until  to-day,  that  I  had 
almost  no  actual  positive  knowledge  concerning 
their  present  work." 

"  That  lady  is  thoroughly  awake,"  Mrs.  Tem 
ple  said,  looking  after  the  new-comer  with  a 
satisfied  bend  of  her  head,  as  Mrs.  Spafford, 
having  discovered  that  it  was  nearly  time  for 
Warren's  car,  and  she  should  miss  that  coveted 
ride  up  with  him  unless  she  hastened,  took 
sudden  leave,  not  before  promising  boldly  to 
do  her  best  at  effecting  an  organization  in 
their  own  church.  "  She  is  wide  awake ;  I 
knew  when  I  talked  with  her,  last  week,  that 
all  she  needed  was  a  little  help  to  set  her  into 
a  blaze ;  we  shall  hear  from  her,  you  may 
depend." 

Yes,  dear  madam,  she  is  awake.  What  a 
pity  it  is  that  you,  sweet  Christian  lady  as  you 
are,  could  not  awaken  to  the  fact,  that  if  you 


200  The  Pocket  Measure. 

were  as  thoroughly  enthused  at  this  moment 
with  the  spirit  of  missions  as  the  young  woman 
you  have  just  helped  to  waken,  were  as 
thoroughly  consecrated  in  heart  and  pure  as 
she  is ;  you  actually  have  tenths  enough  to  so 
swell  the  coffers  of  the  Foreign  Boards  that 
they  could  do  more  in  one  year  than  a  long 
life's  giving  of  such  "  tenths "  as  she  has  can 
accomplish.  That  is,  counting  it  in  dollars 
and  cents.  Thank  the  dear  Lord  for  counting 
above  these.  "  Thy  prayers  and  thine  alms," 
said  he  to  Cornelius.  Mi's.  Spafford  may  give 
her  tiny  jewels  with  joy,  remembering  the 
wording  of  that  sentence.  After  all  it  was  a 
so-called  chance  word  which  set  the  pretty 
blaze  of  enthusiasm  into  a  white  heat.  As  she 
went  down  the  aisle  she  came  in  contact  with 
a  small,  fair  girl,  not  more  than  eighteen,  with 
a  pretty,  girlish  —  not  to  say  childish  —  face, 
who  grasped  her  hand,  with  an  eager,  tearful 
sentence : 

"Oh,  dear  lady,  let  me  take  your  hand.  I 
want  to  thank  you  for  that  prayer.  I  never 
heard  anybody  pray  so  tenderly  before  for 
missionaries  and  their  families." 


Perfect  Love  Casteth  out  Fear.          201 

"Dear  child,"  said  Mrs.  Spafford,  stooping 
to  kiss  the  fair  face.  She  looked  so  small  and 
sweet  that  the  action  was  involuntary.  "  Do 
you  love  the  missionaries  so  much?  What 
has  given  you  such  a  special  interest  at  your 
age?" 

Then  the  blue  eyes  filled  with  tears,  as  the 
tremulous  voice  said : 

"  Oh,  dear  madam,  my  oldest  brother  gave 
his  life  for  the  heathen." 

"And  my  Elder  Brother  gave  his  life,  his 
wonderful  life  for  them  all !  " 

This  was  what  Mrs.  Spafford  thought,  but 
did  not  say.  This  was  what  made  the  flame 
of  love  to  which  fresh  fuel  had  been  added 
that  afternoon  burst  into  a  glow,  the  light  of 
which  shall  burn  on  and  on,  after  Mrs.  Spaf- 
ford's  actual  earth-work  shall  be  done,  and 
she  shall  have  gone  home  to  her  mother  and 
her  God.  Good  work  was  done  for  Christ 
that  day,  more  than  the  workers  knew. 

Away  under  the  waves  of  a  tropical  river 
there  lay  the  bones  of  one  who  had  given  his 
young  life  for  missions ;  a  life  "  nipped  in  the 
bud,"  it  had  been  said,  strangely  cut  off  just 


202  The  Pocket  Measure. 

after  its  full  consecration.  And  yet  that  con 
secrated  life  spoke  to  Mrs.  Spafford  that  sum 
mer  afternoon  as  nothing  else  had  ever  done. 
"  And  I  heard  a  voice  saying  unto  me, '  Write, 
blessed  are  the  dead  who  die  in  the  Lord.' 
'  Yea,'  saith  the  Spirit,  '  they  rest  from  their 
labors;  and  their  works  do  follow  them.'" 


CHAPTER   XII. 


CONFLICTING  DUTIES. 


TAVE  you  ever  observed  what  a  dif 
ference  a  night's  sleep  is  apt  to  make 
in  one's  feelings  and  plans  ?  Things 
which  appear  entirely  reasonable  in  the  dark 
ness  and  loneliness  of  one's  room,  by  night 
are  liable  to  take  different  shape  to  us  by 
daylight.  The  feeling  works  both  ways,  often 
deterring  us  from  that  which  would  be  entirely 
right  and  wise  to  do,  and  sometimes  holding 
us  back  from  what  would  have  been  foolish 
in  the  extreme. 

Realizing  this,  do     you  believe    that    young 
Coleman      finished     the     letter     by     day-light 

which  he   commenced    at    night,   and    sent    it 
203 


204  The  Pocket  Measure. 

on  the  same  errand  that  he  had  planned? 
I  think  you  understand  his  character  well 
enough  to  know  that  by  morning  the  en 
tire  idea  had  taken  an  absurd  aspect  to 
him.  He  paused  in  the  act  of  dressing, 
and  read  the  lines  already  written,  and 
laughed.  "Miss  Jennie  would  think  I  had 
made  a  violent  exertion  to  be  attentive,  I 
fear,  if  she  had  received  that.  I  wonder 
what  she  would  say  to  that  dried-up  prayer- 
meeting,  anyway?  What  possesses  me  to 
go  so  steadily  ?  I  believe  I  had  some  no 
tion,  last  night,  of  going  into  the  thing  a 
little  deeper  even ;  but  I  have  returned  to 
sober  common  sense  this  morning.  I  don't 
believe  it  will  pay  to  let  Mrs.  Callie  exer 
cise  such  a  surprising  power  over  me.  She 
thinks  I  am  a  hypocrite  for  going  to  meet 
ing.  Well,  perhaps  I  am ;  just  as  well  to 
gratify  her  and  stay  away  occasionally, 
anyway,  instead  of  being  so  alarmingly 
unlike  the  rest  of  the  sheep,  by  my  regu 
larity.  Pity  to  spoil  that  sheet  of  note 
paper.  Miss  Jennie  likes  very  delicate 
note  paper;  I've  always  observed  that  she 


Conflicting  Duties.  205 

buys  the  finest.  Let  me  see,  how  could  I 
finish  that  in  a  reasonable  manner  ? "  He 
sat  down  to  this  problem,  and  studied  over 
it  a  few  minutes,  until  apparently  it  was 
settled  in  a  satisfactory  manner,  for  he 
dashed  off  a  few  lines,  enclosed  the  whole 
in  an  envelope,  and  sealed  and  directed  it 
with  a  complacent  air. 

Tims  it  transpired  that  Miss  Jennie  West, 
who  was  again  with  her  friend,  Mrs.  Evans, 
having  come  up  to  spend  several  weeks  while 
her  mother  made  a  long-promised  visit  else 
where,  came  down  to  the  dining-room,  where 
the  poor,  troubled  housekeeper  was  at  work 
trying  to  decide  whether  the  remains  of  yes 
terday's  roast  could  be  made  to  piece  out  to 
day's  dinner,  holding  in  her  hand  an  open 
letter,  and  appealed  for  sympathy,  delight  in 
her  voice : 

"  Look  here,  Eva,  I'm  invited  to  the  opera 
at  Bellevue  Hall  to-night:  isn't  that  lovely?" 
"  Very,"  said  the  weary  housekeeper,  turn 
ing  from  her  bone  which  had  an  alarmingly 
small  portion  of  meat  left  on  it,  and  trying 
to  smile.  "Who  has  invited  you?" 


206  The  Pocket  Measure. 

"  Oh,  Will  Coleraan  of  course ;  he  is  the 
only  one  of  my  friends  who  penetrates  to 
this  hiding-place,  so  far  up  town.  It  is 
real  splendid  of  him,  I  must  say,  for  the 
tickets  for  this  opera  are  awfully  expensive ; 
and  I  don't  believe  Will  indulges  in  that 
way  very  often ;  I  haven't  seen  him  out 
at  any  of  the  summer  concerts  even." 

"I  would  like  so  much  to  go,"  the  young 
wife  said,  a  sudden  sense  of  the  delicious- 
ness  of  the  music  stealing  over  her. 

The  opera  had  an  attraction  for  her  of 
which  Jennie  West  knew  almost  nothing, 
in  that  she  tingled  to  her  fingers'  ends  with 
music,  and  memories  of  enchanting  sounds 
heard  in  Bellevue  Hall,  in  the  days  gone  by, 
thrilled  her  at  that  moment  like  an  electric 
shock.  With  Jennie,  it  was  a  nice  place  to 
go  to  show  one's  new  hat  and  gloves,  and  see 
the  styles,  and  have  a  charming  ride  with  one's 
companion,  and  a  delightful  little  series  of 
chats  between  the  scenes,  and  enjoy  oneself^ 
generally.  The  music  was  really  the  smallest 
part  of  the  attraction.  Nevertheless,  she  was 
prepared  to  sympathize  with  Mrs,  Evans. 


Conflicting  Duties.  207 

"  You  poor  child !  What  Blue  Beards 
husbands  are  I  I  declare,  if  I  were  you,  I 
wouldn't  stand  it !  You  don't  go  anywhere. 
I  don't  believe  you  have  been  down  town 
to  an  evening  entertainment  since  you  moved 
up  here  out  of  the  world.  I  really  think 
Dane  treats  you  shabbily.  If  I  were  you 
I  would  insist  on  being  taken  to-night.  It 
is  a  rare  opportunity.  We  don't  often  have 
such  an  entertainment  as  this  will  be;  es 
pecially  in  the  summer."  • 

Mrs.  Evans  was  painfully  given  to  being 
led  by  the  voice  that  last  sounded  in  her  ears, 
and  Jennie  West  had,  at  all  times,  a  stronger 
influence  with  her  than  she  ought  to  have 
had,  but  there  were  some  things  that  could 
bring  the  indignant  blood  to  her  forehead,  and 
the  ring  of  decision  to  her  voice.  Timid  woman 
though  she  was,  too  much  given  to  meek 
acquiescence  in  the  opinions  advanced  at  the 
moment,  it  was  not  wise  for  any  one  to  criticise 
her  husband  in  her  presence.  Yet  this  was 
one  of  the  most  ordinary  rules  of  etiquette 
which  Jennie  West  was  every  day  violating. 


208  The  Pocket  Measure. 

Rarely     so      glaringly,    however,    as     at    this 
moment. 

"  Dane  is  not  a  tyrant,  Jennie ;  nor  am  I 
a  slave,  as  you  seem  to  imagine.  We  do 
not  go  to  evening  entertainments  very  often, 
it  is  true;  but  it  is  because  neither  of  us 
wishes  to  go ;  and  I  don't  allow  even  a  cousin 
to  speak  to  me  of  my  husband  in  a  way  that 
I  consider  insulting." 

She  was  really  astonished  at  the  coldness 
of  her  own  voice.  So  was  Jennie,  astonished 
and  a  trifle  alarmed  ;  she  did  not  wish  to  offend 
her  cousin  Eva ;  her  house  was  too  convenient 
and  pleasant  a  place,  especially  since  she  had 
moved  up-town. 

"  Mercy ! "  she  said,  with  an  attempt  at 
gaiety  ;  "  how  you  do  snap  one  up  !  Marriage 
isn't  improving  to  people's  tempers  ;  you  used 
to  be  as  mild  as  a  June  morning,  Eva,  and 
now  I  declare  you  are  enough  to  frighten  one. 
I  didn't  mean  anything  either ;  I'm  sure  you 
and  Dane  may  devote  yourselves  to  each  other 
every  evening  for  the  rest  of  your  lives,  for 
all  objection  I  shall  make.  I'm  glad  you  enjoy 
it;  though  I  am  sure  I  never  should.  Come 


Conflicting  Duties.  209 

up -stairs,  do,  and  advise  me  what  to  wear.  I 
wish  I  had  a  new  opera  cloak,  mine  is  really 
getting  shabby ;  though  to  be  sure,  at  this 
season  of  the  year  cloaks  don't  so  much  matter. 
It  is  almost  a  wonder  Will  would  go  to-night, 
he  is  so  regular  at  prayer-meeting ;  I  didn't 
know  but  there  was  some  whim,  or  promise 
to  his  mother,  or  something  of  that  sort  which 
kept  him  so  constant  in  attendance." 

"  Why,  surely,"  said  Mrs.  Evans,  "  it  is 
prayer-meeting  evening ;  and  you  and  I  were 
going." 

"  I  know  it ;  we  shall  have  to  wait  until  next 
week,  I  suppose." 

The  plan  of  going  together  to  the  prayer- 
meeting  that  evening  had  been  proposed  by 
Jennie  herself,  and  eagerly  agreed  to  by  Mrs. 
Evans,  who  remembered  that  it  was  her  hus 
band's  evening  to  be  late  ;  also  as  the  trials 
and  burdens  of  home  life  pressed  thick  around 
her,  she  looked  about  at  times  almost  wildly, 
for  some  sort  of  refuge.  Constantly  her  mind 
reverted  to  Mrs.  Spafford,  and  the  calm  which 
rested  on  her  fair  face  whenever  the  storm- 
tossed  housekeeper  met  her ;  and  as  often  as 


210  The  Pocket  Measure. 

this  occurred,  she  went  back  to  the  bits  of 
conversation  which  she  had  had  with  her,  and 
remembered  that  bright  and  natural  as  her 
manner  had  been,  her  words  turned  steadily 
toward  Christ  as  the  centre  of  all  her  plans, 
whether  of  housekeeping  or  benevolence.  The 
aim  in  life  seemed  to  be  the  same,  whether 
the  topics  were  grave  or  petty.  Thinking  of 
it  all,  it  was  impossible  not  to  be  forced,  at 
times,  to  the  conclusion  that  Mrs.  Spafford 
had  something  connected  with  her  religion,  of 
which  she,  Mrs.  Evans,  knew  nothing.  What 
if  she  could  find  it,  and  show  it  to  Dane,  and 
it  would  unravel  the  snarl  into  which  life  was 
growing  for  them  ?  For  hide  it  as  she  would, 
from  Jennie  West  and  from  every  other  out 
side  eye,  the  daily  puzzle  was  every  hour 
growing  more  intricate,  and  the  gloom  was 
gathering  heavier  on  Dane's  forehead  ;  there 
were  times  when  Mrs.  Evans'  heart  was  well 
nigh  bursting  with  its  disappointed  hopes, 
its  loneliness,  and  its  foreboding.  She  had  no 
wish  to  attend  an  opera ;  it  had  been  a  mo 
mentary  whim,  which  passed  as  soon  as  it  was 
mentioned.  She  wanted  the  tangles  of  her 


Conflicting  Duties.  211 

life  smoothed  out ;  she  wanted  to  make  a 
happy,  peaceful  home  for  Dane ;  she  bitterly 
felt  that  she  did  not  know  how  to  do  it.  But 
she  went  up  stairs  with  Jennie,  leaving  the 
roast  to  plan  for  itself,  and  appeared  to  interest 
herself  in  blue  silk  and  white  lace  and  natural 
flowers  and  fresh  kids,  and  really  went  off 
into  a  reverie  that  had  to  do  with  herself  and 
Dane  only,  rousing  suddenly  to  the  sound  of 
Jennie's  voice,  as  she  said: 

"  I  suppose  Gallic  Spafford  would  think  I 
was  perfectly  awful  to  do  it ;  but  then,  if 
one  tried  to  follow  Callie's  rule  of  life,  one 
might  as  well  turn  Catholic  and  go  into  a  con 
vent  and  be  done  with  it." 

"  To  do  what,  Jennie  ?  What  does  Mrs. 
Spafford  think?" 

The  sound  of  that  name  always  had  a  ten 
dency  to  rouse  Mrs.  Evans. 

"  Oh,  she  thinks  everything  is  wrong,  and 
everybody  on  earth  is  awry,  save  her  own 
sweet  self,"  was  Jennie's  testy  answer,  as  she 
twitched  at  the  somewhat  crushed  artificial 
flowers  in  her  hand,  and  tried  to  make  them 
look  natural  and  fresh. 


212  The  Pocket  Measure. 

"She  is  the  last  person  I  should  think  of 
calling  an  egotist,"  said  Mrs.  Evans. 

"  Well,  she  is  self-righteous ;  and  narrow, 
Eva;  just  as  narrow  as  a  knife-blade.  She 
used  to  be  so  at  school ;  the  girls  were  always 
making  fun  of  her  notions ;  but  she  grows 
worse  and  worse.  I  don't  see  why,  either  ; 
Warren  Spafford  wasn't  so  much  more  partic 
ular  than  the  rest  of  the  world  before  he  be 
came  acquainted  with  her;  so  it  isn't  his 
influence." 

"  But  what  do  you  mean  she  would  object 
to  just  now  ?  " 

"  Why,  she  objects  to  everything.  What 
ever  she  doesn't  do  is  wicked  ;  and  she  doesn't 
go  to  the  opera ;  so  of  course,  that  is  wicked." 

"  Wicked  to  go  to  the  opera  !  " 

There  was  great  amazement  in  Mrs.  Evans' 
tones :  she  had  actually  never  come  in  contact 
with  a  class  of  Christians  who  held  those 
views ! 

"  But  what  is  there  wrong  about  going  to 
a  good  opera?" 

"  Oh,  goodness  knows  ;  I  don't.  If  you 
expect  me  to  give  reasons  for  all  that  Callie 


Conflicting  Duties.  213 

Spafford  thinks  is  wicked,  it  will  keep  me 
busy.  Everything  is  wicked,  I  tell  you,  but 
singing  psalms  and  going  to  prayer-meeting, 
and  eating  just  enough  to  keep  you  from  act 
ual  starvation  and  giving  away  the  rest.  It 
is  bad  enough  for  me  to  go  to  the  opera  at 
any  time,  but  to  go  on  prayer-meeting  evening 
—  actually  to  beguile  Will  from  his  regular 
attendance  —  she  will  consider  .  the  unpardon 
able  sin." 

Miss  Jennie  spoke  with  unusual  asperity. 
Truth  to  tell,  her  conscience  was  somewhat 
troubled  ;  not  about  the  opera,  especially ;  she 
was  too  shallow  to  have  given  those  matters 
serious  thought ;  but  about  herself  in  general, 
or  Mrs.  Spafford's  opinion  of  her.  Like  the 
rest  of  the  world,  she  respected  Mrs.  Spafford. 
The  pointed  questions  which  that  lady  had 
asked  her  but  a  few  evenings  before,  concern 
ing  Will  Coleman,  had  stayed  by  and  trou 
bled  her.  What  if  she  ought  to  exert  a  differ 
ent  influence  over  him  ? 

She  would  like  (she  stopped  twisting  her 
artificial  moss  rose-buds  for  a  full  minute,  and 
gave  the  matter  serious  consideration)  —  yes, 


214  The  Pocket  Measure. 

she  would  really  like  to  see  him  a  Christian  ; 
not  a  pokey  one  like  Warren  Spafford,  never 
going  to  operas  or  dances  or  anything,  but 
after  all  a  prominent  Christian,  one  who  led 
in  prayer  at  public  meetings,  and  made  ad 
dresses,  and  was  put  on  committees  and  con 
sulted,  and  all  that  sort  of  thing.  He  was  cal 
culated  to  shine  in  such  a  sphere,  she  believed, 
and  perhaps  she  really  ought  to  use  her  influ 
ence.  In  fact  she  did,  and  meant  to.  Hadn't 
she  told  him  more  than  once  that  she  wished 
he  was  a  church-member?  And  what  had  he 
done  but  laugh  at  her,  and  tell  her  that  he 
was  ahead  of  her  church-members  now  —  the 
most  of  them  —  and  so  he  was.  But  then,  peo 
ple  would  persist  in  not  understanding  his 
position  because  he  would  not  join  the  church! 
She  had  half  a  mind  to  talk  to  him  about  it 
this  very  evening.  It  would  be  a  real  nice 
opportunity,  while  they  were  riding  down  town 
together,  or  on  their  way  back;  certainly  a 
much  nicer  time  for  confidential  conversation 
than  they  could  have  during  the  short  walk 
from  prayer-meeting. 

By  the  time  Mrs.  Evans  had  turned  the  sub- 


Conflicting  Duties.  215 

ject  over  in  her  mind,  and  was  ready  to  speak, 
Jennie  had  recovered  satisfaction  with  herself 
and  was  complacently  managing  the  moss  rose 
buds. 

"  Well,  perhaps,  Jennie,  one  ought  not  to  go 
to  an  opera  on  prayer-meeting  evening.  I  never 
thought  of  it  before,  and  I  presume  I  have 
done  it  a  great  many  times ;  but,  when  you 
think  of  it,  it  does  look  inconsistent.  Why 
don't  you  write  Will  to  choose  some  other  even 
ing,  and  go  with  you  to  prayer-meeting  to 
night?" 

"  Because  I  don't  believe  in  any  such  thing. 
That  is  a  la  Gallic  Spafford  again.  I  should 
expect  to  accomplish  nothing  more  than  to 
arouse  Will's  prejudices.  I  have  seen  that  sort 
of  thing  done  a  great  many  times,  and  I  hope 
never  to  make  such  a  mistake.  Eva,  do  you 
think  these  rose-buds  a  shade  too  pink  to  fit 
my  blue  silk?" 

"I  think  not.  But  why  should  consistency 
arouse  his  prejudice,  Jennie?" 

"  It  isn't  consistency.  It  is  self-righteous 
ness —  making  a  parade  of  one's  religion.  Peo 
ple  ought  to  yield  their  own  wishes  for  the 


216  The  Pocket  Measure. 

benefit  of  others.  Just  think  how  absurd  it 
would  look  in  me  to  send  Will  Coleman  word 
that  because  it  was  prayer-meeting  evening  I 
could  not  go  with  him  to  the  opera,  when  he 
knows  as  well  as  I  do  that  there  is  prayer- 
meeting  every  week  in  the  year,  which  I  can 
attend  if  I  want  to,  while  an  entertainment  of 
this  sort  is  rather  a  rare  thing  for  me,  at  least. 
You  know  I  don't  get  to  these  expensive  enter 
tainments  very  often.  Can't  you  see  what  a 
self-righteous  look  that  would  have  to  a  young 
man  —  especially  if  he  were  not  a  Christian 
himself.  If  I  were  a  married  woman  I  would 
make  it  a  point  of  conscience  to  go  wherever 
and  whenever  my  husband  wished  me  to  ;  it 
is  the  only  way  in  which  I  should  hope  to  influ 
ence  him  to  my  ways  of  thinking.  I  think 
you  ought  to  try  that  with  Dane.  If  you  were 
ready  to  go  with  him  to  places  of  amusement, 
quite  likely  he  would  be  ready  to  go  with  you 
to  prayer-meeting." 

You  should  have  heard  Miss  Jennie's  com 
placent  tones.  She  was  growing  exceedingly 
well  satisfied  with  herself,  and  had  already  for 
gotten  that  husbands  were  Blue  Beards,  and 


Conflicting  Duties.  217 

her  cousin  a  martyr  to  the  stay-at-home  pro 
pensities  of  Mr.  Evans.  Her  listener  found  it 
impossible  to  accept  theories  so  suddenly ;  nei 
ther  was  she  ready  to  refute  them.  A  radical 
defect  in  Mrs.  Evans  education  had  been  that 
she  had  too  few  pronounced  opinions  of  any 
sort.  Her  cousin  Jennie's  views  looked  some 
what  plausible,  but  she  was  not  ready  to  ac 
cept  them,  because  of  the  reference  to  Mrs. 
Spafford  and  her  opinions.  Mrs.  Evans  was 
growing  every  day  more  sure  that  when  there 
was  a  difference  of  opinion  between  Mrs.  Spaf 
ford  and  Jennie  West,  the  former  was  almost 
certain  to  be  in  the  right.  So  now  she  deter 
mined  to  reserve  her  judgment,  even  in  regard 
to  the  strange  announcement  that  operas  might 
be  wrong,  until  she  could  hear  from  Mrs. 
Spafford's  own  lips  why  she  thought  so.  Mean 
time  Jennie's  words  set  her  off  on  another  train 
of  thought. 

"  I  have  never  asked  Dane  to  go  to  prayer- 
meeting  with  me." 

Jennie  faced  around  on  her  in  righteous 
amazement. 

"  Why,  Evangeline   Evans !     I  should  think 


218  The  Pocket  Measure. 

you  would  be  ashamed  to  own  it ;  and  you  a 
member  of  the  church  these  dozen  years ! " 

"  Well,"  said  the  wife,  apologetically,  "  You 
know  they  never  went  to  prayer-meeting  from 
Uncle  Horace's ;  and  before  that,  when  mamma 
was  sick,  I  got  out  of  the  way  of  going ;  and 
so,  since  I  have  known  Dane  intimately,  I  really 
haven't  been  in  the  habit  of  going  myself.  It 
is  strange.  I  have  been  thinking  a  good  deal 
about  it  lately  —  about  my  not  going.  I  never 
thought  of  asking  Dane ;  perhaps  he  would 
go  if  I  asked  him.  I  think  I  shall  try  it." 

"  I  should  think  you  would,"  said  Jennie. 
And  she  dressed  for  the  opera  in  a  still  more 
complacent  state  of  mind,  feeling  sure  that  she 
had  set  poor  Eva  on  the  right  track  to  do 
some  good  to  her  irreligious  husband,  and  more 
determined  than  ever  to  urge  Will  Coleman 
that  very  evening  to  unite  with  the  church  and 
take  an  active  part  in  its  public  duties.  "  It 
is  everything  he  needs,"  she  told  herself  confi 
dently,  "  to  make  him  a  perfect  Christian  gen 
tleman."  And  then  the  carriage  came,  and  she 
went  away  in  state. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

SEED   SOWN   ON  THOBNY  GROUND. 

M 

VK 

[URING  these    days   Mrs.   Spafford    was 

very  busy.  She  had  undertaken  what 
proved  a  Herculean  task ;  like  many 
another  worker,  it  was  fortunate  that  when  she 
began  she  did  not  realize  the  magnitude  of  the 
undertaking.  Indeed,  to  her  short-sighted 
eyes,  nothing  seemed  easier  than  to  go  among 
Christian  women  and  enlist  their  co-operation 
in  a  missionary  society. 

"  It  is  simply  because  they,  like  myself,  have 
not  had  their  attention  called  to  it  before," 
she  said  to  her  husband,  when  she  was  trying 
to  explain  the  lethargy  of  the  Church  on  the 
subject ;  "  see  how  I  have  lived  all  these  years, 
219 


220  The  Pocket  Measure. 

doing  nothing  for  the  cause,  and  it  is  not  be 
cause  I  was  not  interested,  I  was  brought  up 
to  consider  missionaries  of  better  blood  than 
I,  but  I  simply  did  not  realize  anything  that 
I  could  do  for  them,  or  rather  for  an  object 
so  far  away  from  home.  We  are  just  waking 
up  as  a  people  to  understand  the  power  of 
little  gifts;  of  course,  this  church  will  join 
hands  with  the  others;  ten  cents  a  month  is 
so  small  a  sum !  Why,  Warren,  even  we  can 
give  it,  and  have  quite  an  amount  left  for 
other  channels." 

And  Warren  had  listened,  and  smiled  in  a 
covert  way,  believing  in  his  heart  that  he  knew 
the  world  better  than  his  wife,  yet  so  resolved 
was  he  not  to  dampen  her  enthusiasm,  that 
he  resolutely  refrained  from  expressing  a 
doubt,  but  let  her  go  on  her  way  rejoicing. 

She  came  home  from  an  afternoon's  campaign 
with  plumes  sadly  drooping.  In  a  degree  she 
had  guaged  the  spiritual  atmosphere  about 
her ;  it  would  have  been  impossible  to  be  a 
regular  attendant  at  the  prayer-meeting  and 
not  do  that — so  she  looked  for  apathy  in  cer 
tain  quarters,  and  a  reluctant  consent  in  others, 


Seed  Sown  on  Thorny  Ground.          221 

and  ^expected  to  meet  with  many  expressed 
fears  that  it  would  be  impossible  to  succeed, 
but  she  had  not  looked  for  actual  outspoken 
opposition !  And  to  think  of  finding  it  in  the 
very  center  of  influence  !  She  had  by  no 
means  a  high  idea  of  Mrs.  Bacon's  religious 
life.  The  difficulty  was  that  she  had  no  con 
ception  of  any  sort  of  religious  life  which 
wasn't,  to  say  the  very  least,  in  favor  of  mis 
sions!  It  was  astounding  to  discover  that 
Mrs.  Bacon  could  not  be  said  to  even  approve 
of  them  ! 

"My  dear  Mrs.  Spafford,"  she  said  —  and 
to  Mrs.  Spafford  there  was  always  something 
peculiarly  exasperating  about  this  beginning 
— "  have  you  ever  carefully  studied  the  en 
tire  subject,  and  discovered  what  an  immense 
amount  of  money  has  been  expended  on  Foreign 
Missions  already,  with  what  few  returns  ? 
"Why,  to  me  it  is  actually  appalling !  When 
I  look  over  our  own  fair  country,  and  see  the 
need  for  money  on  every  hand ;  the  miserable 
homes  and  the  miserable  children,  and  the 
squalor  and  filth  and  wretchedness  everywhere 
about  us,  and  then  reflect  what  immense  sums 


222  The  Pocket  Measure. 

we  are  annually  sending  abroad  to  those 
wretched  heathen,  I  can  not  help  being  in 
dignant." 

Now,  I  suppose  it  would  be  almost  impos 
sible  to  describe  to  you  what  a  strange,  puzzled 
feeling  this  gave  Mrs.  Spafford.  It  was  such 
a  new  idea,  she  did  not  know  in  the  least  how 
to  answer  it.  The  words  she  spoke  were  not 
intended  for  an  answer.  They  were  simply 
floating  through  her  mind,  suggested  by,  she 
did  not  clearly  see  what,  and  she  thought 
aloud :  " '  He  hath  made  of  one  blood  all  the 
nations  of  the  earth.' " 

"  Oh,  well,  I  suppose  so,  in  one  sense ;  and 
yet  I  think  you  clearly  recognize  a  difference 
between  your  own  household  and  the  beggars 
in  the  street?" 

"  Not  in  the  sense  that  they  all  need  feed 
ing." 

Mrs.  Spafford  was  gathering  her  wits,  and 
began  to  see  the  strangeness  of  the  talk. 

"  Yes,  even  in  that  sense ;  you  will  let  the 
beggars  starve  and  look  after  your  own  house 
hold,  if  you  have  not  enough  for  all." 

"Dear  madam,  no;    I   have   no   right  to  do 


Seed  Sown  on  Thorny  Ground.          223 

it.  I  must  share  my  children's  crusts,  even, 
with  the  children  of  those  worse  off  than  they  ? 
But  what  has  this  to  do  with  the  subject,  after 
all  ?  Has  not  the  Church  of  Christ  bread 
enough  for  all  the  family?" 

"  I  am  not  good  at  talking  in  metaphor," 
was  Mrs.  Bacon's  half-smiling  answer:  "Let 
us  come  down  to  plain  prose.  You  want  to 
start  a  missionary  society  in  our  church  to 
help  the  foreign  work,  and  I  say  frankly  —  I 
am  a  very  frank  woman  —  that  I  do  not  believe 
in  the  foreign  work.  I  think  we  have  heathen 
enough  at  home  to  look  after,  and,  until  they 
are  all  civilized,  we  ought  to  spend  our  money 
and  our  energies  at  home." 

This  time  the  answer  came  promptly,  and 
the  speaker  believed  that  she  recognized  the 
prompting  voice  in  her  heart :  "  But  isn't  the 
direction,  '  Go  ye  into  all  the  world  and  preach 
the  gospel  to  every  creature  ? ' ' 

"  That  was  given  to  the  early  apostles,  and, 
of  course,  they  went  into  all  the  world  that 
was  then  known." 

"Yes,  but  in  the  same  breath,  to  comfort 
his  children,  he  said:  'Lo,  I  am  with  you 


224  The  Pocket  Measure. 


^  even  unto  the  end  of  the  world.  '  And 
the  disciples  to  whom  he  then  spoke  have  been 
in  his  visible  presence  for  hundreds  of  years, 
and  the  world  is  not  yet  ended  ;  the  comfort 
lasts  yet,  and  so,  therefore,  must  the  com 
mission.  Besides,  Mrs.  Bacon,  in  our  own 
country  are  there  not  churches  enough,  and 
Bibles  enough,  and  praying  men  and  women 
enough,  so  that  all  may  know  the  way  if  they 
will  ?  The  seed  is  planted  ;  there  is  no  doubt 
but  it  will  grow;  the  question  is,  ought  we 
not  to  plant  it  in  other  lands,  and  give  other 
nations  of  the  same  blood  an  equal  chance  to 
choose  ?  " 

"  Oh,  no  doubt  there  are  churches  and  Bibles 
enough  !  "  The  tone  in  which  Mrs.  Bacon 
spoke  would  have  led  one  ignorant  of  her 
position  in  the  church  to  suppose  that  she 
almost  sneered  at  both  Bibles  and  churches. 
"As  if  all  that  poor  people  wanted  was 
churches  and  Bibles  and  prayers  !  My  dear 
madam,  they  need  shoes  and  potatoes  a  great 
deal  more.  Think  of  the  money  thrown  away 
on  the  cannibal  Africans  !  Enough  to  have 
fed  and  clothed  and  educated  all  the  poor  in 


Seed  Sown  on  Thorny  Grround.          225 

our    own    land  ;    and  with   no    return    at   all." 

Now,  indeed,  was  Mrs.  Spafford   aghast. 

"No  return!  Why,  Mrs.  Bacon,  whole 
villages  among  those  cannibal  Africans  are 
clothed  and  in  their  right  minds  to-day  ;  and 
hundreds  of  them  have  gone  to  swell  the 
company  in  heaven,  which  you  know  is  to 
be  made  up  of  every  'kindred  and  tribe  and 
tongue  and  nation.' " 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  know  a  few  of  them  have  professed 
conversion,  though  whether  they  understood 
what  was  meant  by  the  word  is  rather  doubtful, 
I  suppose ;  but  think  of  the  cost !  and  of  what 
the  same  amount  of  money  would  have  ac 
complished  at  home  ! " 

What  was  the  matter  with  Mrs.  Spafford? 
It  seemed  to  her,  in  thinking  afterward  of 
this  conversation,  that  her  thoughts  flowed 
only  through  Bible  channels.  Was  it  possibly 
another  proof  of  the  faithfulness  of  a  God 
who  said :  "  Open  thy  mouth  wide,  and  I  will 
fill  it."  She  did  not  think  of  it  at  the  time, 
it  simply  seemed  the  most  natural  thing  in  the 
world  for  her  to  say  just  then  : 

'"What    shall   it    profit  a  man    if    he   gain- 


226  The  Pocket  Measure. 

the  whole  world  and  lose  his  own  soul  ?  Or, 
what  shall  a  man  give  in  exchange  for  his 
soul?"  I  did  not  think  that  the  worth  of 
a  soul  could  be  estimated  in  dollars  and  cents, 
Mrs.  Bacon.  Is  not  that  what  Christ  meant 
to  teach  us  when  he  asked  that  solemn 
question  ?  " 

But  Mrs.  Bacon  was  growing  irritable : 
she  did  not  like  to  argue,  except  with  a 
certain  class  of  people.  When  she  was  ir 
ritable,  she  was  always  more  or  less  rude.  So 
now  she  said,  with  smiling  face  and  stinging 
voice  : 

"  My  dear  Mrs.  Spafford,  what  a  remarkable 
memory  you  must  have  !  I  think,  during  your 
leisure  hours  when  you  were  a  teacher,  you 
must  have  memorized  the  entire  Bible.  It 
must  be  very  convenient  in  conversation, 
when  one  is  at  a  loss  for  words,  to  slip  in  a 
Bible  verse.  But  I  don't  suppose  if  the 
entire  Bible  were  repeated  to  me J I  should 
change  my  mind;  I  am  very  pronounced  in 
my  opinions.  I  am  entirely  absorbed  in  Home 
Missions,  and  I  really  believe,  so  long  as  there 
is  anything  to  do  for  our  own  home  land, 


Seed  Sown  on  Thorny  Ground.          227 

that  at  least  people,  who  have  but  little  to 
give,  should  not  dribble  it  up  and  send  it  no 
one  knows  where,  on  the  plea  that  they  are 
going  to  reform  the  world." 

At  the  commencement  of  this  sentence, 
Mrs.  Spafford  felt  her  cheeks  growing  red, 
and  her  heart  beating  fast,  and  knew  by  these 
and  certain  other  uncomfortable  sensations  that 
she  was  angry,  but,  before  its  close,  the  angry 
feelings  had  subsided  into  mirth.  It  was  such  a 
curious  idea  to  her  that  Mrs.  Bacon  believed 
herself  to  be  entirely  absorbed  in  home  mis 
sions.  How  was  she  proving  it  ?  "  She  will " 
be  the  very  person  to  visit,  when  we  are  ready 
for  our  sewing-school,  and  home  for  orphans, 
and  several  other  enterprises  that  we  ought 
to  start  in  this  ward,"  she  said  to  herself, 
as  she  arose  to  go ;  but  the  time  had  not  yet 
come  for  these,  so,  aloud,  she  said : 

"  I  am  sorry,  Mrs.  Bacon ;  some  of  the 
ladies  of  the  Twelfth  Street  Church  suggested 
you  as  the  person  to  take  hold  of  an  organiza 
tion  such  as  I  am  trying  to  effect.  I  quite 
looked  to  you  as  a  leader." 

If    Mrs.    Spafford    had    realized    it,  she   had 


228  The  Pocket  Measure. 

left  her  most  powerful  arguments  for  the  last, 
and  produced  them  after  it  was  too  late  for 
them  to  tell.  An  instant  flush  overspread 
Mrs.  Bacon's  face,  and  her  eyes  were  ablaze 
with  a  look  that  showed  she  was  vexed  at 
having  made  admissions  that  would  cripple 
her,  perhaps  unpleasantly.  To  be  a  leader  of 
anything  was  a  temptation ;  and  to  be  expected 
by  the  Twelfth  Street  Church  people  to  lead, 
was  a  matter  of  great  importance  to  Mrs. 
Bacon.  Still  what  could  she  do  now  but  abide 
by  her  strong  words? 

"  When  everything  is  done  at  home  that 
ought  to  be,  perhaps  I  may  assume  foreign 
responsibilities,"  she  said,  with  an  attempt  at 
a  smile. 

After  the  thrust  she  had  received,  it  is, 
perhaps,  strange  that  Mrs.  Spafford  should 
have  quoted  another  Bible  verse,  but  she  felt 
that  she  could  hardly  have  kept  her  lips  from 
saying:  "These  ought  ye  to  have  done,  and 
not  to  have  left  the  other  undone." 

It  may  have  been  those  very  words  that 
tempted  Mrs.  Bacon  to  say,  with  her  most 


Seed  Sown  on  Thorny  Ground.          229 

compassionate  smile,  as  she  arose  to  follow  her 
caller  to  the  door : 

"  My  dear  Mrs.  Spafford,  you  ought  to  go 
more  into  society,  and  then  your  time  would 
be  too  much  taken  up  to  leave  room  for  any 
of  these  restless  movements.  I  know  how  it 
is.  Young  housekeepers,  who  are  commencing 
life  in  a  modest,  quiet  way,  never  have  much 
to  do,  and  you  have  been  accustomed  to  such 
an  active  life,  no  wonder  you  reach  out  after 
something  to  take  your  time.  But  there  are 
pleasant  people  all  about  you.  I  presume  you 
can  make  a  congenial  little  circle  right  among 
yourselves,  and  have  very  pleasant  times." 

After  that,  perhaps  Mrs.  Spafford  would 
have  been  almost  more  than  human  if  she 
had  not  gone  home  with  burning  cheeks  and 
angry  eyes.  The  truth  is,  this  dear  Christian 
woman  was  very  human  indeed.  She  got 
the  better  of  the  anger  after  a  little,  but  the 
sadheartedness  remained.  Such  people  as 
Mrs.  Bacon  have  their  influence.  In  the 
course  of  a  few  days  Mrs.  Spafford  was  as 
tonished  to  find  out  how  far  her  influence 
extended.  Nearly  all  the  ladies  of  the  church. 


230  The  Pocket  Measure. 

were  more  or  less  affected  by  the  fact  that 
the  leading  one  in  their  midst,  so  far  as  wealth 
and  position  were  concerned,  had  refused  to 
countenance  the  new  movement.  It  is  true  they 
were  variously  affected ;  some  declared  that 
it  was  just  what  they  would  expect  of  her, 
that  she  was  a  selfish,  narrow-minded  woman, 
and  gave  less  in  proportion  to  her  wealth 
that  any  other  member  of  their  church.  At 
the  same  time  these  outspoken  persons  were 
by  no  means  willing  to  set  Mrs.  Bacon  a  better 
example  by  taking  the  lead  in  an  enterprise 
which  she  chose  to  ignore.  Others  said  that 
Mrs.  Bacon  kept  herself  well  posted,  and  if 
she  did  not  think  an  organization  of  that  sort 
would  succeed,  it  was  not  worth  while  to  un 
dertake  it.  Others,  still,  declared  themselves 
in  sympathy  with  Mrs.  Bacon  in  believing  that 
there  was  work  enough  to  do  at  home.  In 
short,  after  a  vigorous  canvass  of  the  material 
within  her  reach,  Mrs.  Spafford  wearily  ad 
mitted  to  her  husband  that  she  had  found 
almost  no  helpers. 

"  Some    are    willing,   but    timid ;    and   some 
pre  bold,  but  opposed,"  she  said,  half  laughing 


Seed  Sown  on  Thorny  Ground.          281 

and  yet  feeling  tired  and  discouraged  enough 
to  cry.  "  I  don't  believe  it  is  my  forte  to 
work  up  such  an  organization.  I  have  done 
my  best,  and  failed  at  every  point.  I  don't 
think  I  understand  women.  I  find  that  they 
surprise  me  so." 

"You  understood  girls  uncommonly  well, 
and  they  are  the  material  of  which  women 
are  made,"  replied  her  husband,  with  the  air 
of  a  man  who  stood  ready  to  do  valiant  battle 
with  any  one  who  dared  dispute  his  wife's 
ability  to  understand  anything,  and  accomplish 
the  impossible.  She  gave  heed  only  to  the 
first  part  of  his  sentence :  "  You  understood 
girls  uncommonly  well."  This  was  true.  As 
a  teacher  she  had  been  skilled  in  the  art  of 
leading  and  guiding  the  bright,  pretty,  willful 
girls  committed  to  her  care.  She  had  often 
times  succeeded  where  others  failed.  She 
knew  she  had  a  peculiar  sympathy  for  girl 
hood,  which  seemed  to  give  her  a  power 
over  them.  She  was  inclined  to  be  half  shy 
of  women  who  were  older,  or  even  quite  as 
old,  as  herself.  She  had  a  curious  feeling  of 


232  The  Pocket  Measure. 

youth  and  inexperience  when  with  them,  but 
with  girls  she  felt  at  home. 

"  That  is  an  idea  !  "  she  said,  looking  brightly 
at  him.  "I  might  do  something  with  the 
girls ;  they  have  Young  Ladies'  Bands." 

Over  this  thought  she  pondered  until  at 
last  she  resolved  to  act.  No  more  individual 
calling,  carrying  the  downheartedness  from 
one  house  to  be  perhaps  increased  by  her 
reception  at  another.  She  resolved  to  make 
a  bold  stroke  and  get  the  girls  together.  To 
be  sure  she  knew  very  few  of  them.  Never 
mind ;  when  was  she  ever  at  a  loss  what  to 
do  with  a  company  of  girls?  So,  on  the 
following  Sabbath,  bright-eyed  girls  gave 
curious,  inquiring  glances  from  one  to  an 
other,  wondering  by  whose  planning  they 
were  summoned  to  meet  at  "  No.  207  Chestnut 
Avenue,  on  Saturday  afternoon  at  three  o'clock, 
to  consult  together  concerning  a  matter  of 
importance."  There  was  an  eager  buzzing  of 
tongues  over  the  event. 

"  Girls,  do  you  know  who  sent  the  notice  ? 
Isn't  it  queer  ? "  "  Angie  Powers,  are  you 
sure  you  didn't  have  a  hand  in  the  matter  ?  " 


Seed  Sown  on  Thorny  Ground.          233 

"And  you  haven't  the  least  idea  what  is 
going  on  ?  How  funny  I "  "  207  Chestnut 
Street.  That  is  where  that  bright-looking 
Mrs.  Spafibrd  lives,  isn't  it  ? "  "  Do  you 
know  her,  girls?  I  do.  I  met  her  at  the 
festival;  she  and  I  cut  cake  half  the  after 
noon.  I  think  she  is  perfectly  lovely !  If  it 
is  anything  she  is  interested  in,  I'm  going 
to  take  hold  of  it  for  I  know  it  will  be 
just  splendid."  "Isn't  it  queer  that  we  can't 
find  out  the  least  thing  about  it  ? "  "I  de 
clare  it  is  as  good  as  a  surprise  party ! " 
You  are  going,  aren't  you,  Angie  ?  Oh, 
yes ;  go  of  course ;  it  would  be  rude  not  to ; 
Mrs.  Spafford  is  a  stranger.  Beside,  it  may 
be  something  real  splendid."  "I  like  her  face. 
I've  never  met  her,  but  I  sit  where  I  can 
look  at  her  all  the  time  in  church,  and  I  was 
wishing  only  last  Sunday  that  I  knew  her." 
These  are  only  a  few  of  the  questions 
answers  and  comments  that  fluttered  broad 
cast  wherever  "the  girls,"  gathered  in  knots 
during  the  week.  As  the  days  passed  and 
it  became  apparent  that  none  of  their  number 
were  taken  into  confidence,  or  knew  aught 


234  The  Pocket  Measure. 

that  was  to  transpire  the  interest  deepened. 
And  by  ten  minutes  past  three  on  Saturday 
afternoon  Mrs.  Spafford's  tiny  parlor  was 
filled,  even  to  overflowing  into  the  dining- 
room,  with  bright,  eager,  expectant  faces. 
Whatever  "  the  girls,"  might  decide  upon  after 
they  heard  what  was  to  be  said  to  them,  they 
were  certainly  on  the  high  tide  of  enthusiasm 
now. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

i 

A  PROBLEM. 

LL  the  girls  in  Mrs.  Spafford's  parlor 
bestowed  puzzled  glances  on  each  other, 

and  were  silent.  Mrs.  Spafford  had  been 
talking  with  them  eagerly  and  rapidly.  She 
was  full  of  enthusiasm  herself;  she  looked 
to  find  a  response  from  at  least  some  of  them. 
She  had  unfolded  her  plan,  to  organize  a  Young 
Ladies'  Mission  Band,  to  be  connected  with 
other  bands  in  the  city,  to  be  governed  by  the 
rules  already  adopted  by  the  majority  of  organ 
izations.  She  had  explained  the  nature  and 
object  of  the  meetings  ;  had  suggested  methods 
of  conducting  them ;  plans  for  interesting 
others;  the  amount  of  money  that  would  be 
235 


236  The  Pocket  Measure. 

expected  from  each  member,  and  the  few  and 
simple  rules  by  which  they  would  be  gov 
erned,  and  then  she  had  asked  if  they  were 
ready  to  enter  into  some  such  effort,  modified 
and  enlarged  as  time  passed,  according  to  their 
views  of  things. 

It  was  at  this  point  that  she  was  met  with 
profound  and  puzzled  silence.  Evidently  the 
girls  were  astonished,  and  also  a  little  disap 
pointed  ;  they  had  indulged  extravagant  fancies 
in  regard  to  the  possible  object  of  this  mys 
terious  meeting.  It  was  a  descent  into  a 
prosaic  world  to  have  the  call  mean  nothing 
but  a  mission  band ! 

"  1  don't  know  anything  about  missions  or 
missionaries,"  ventured  at  last  one  of  the 
bolder  spirits,  with  an  embarrassed  little  laugh. 

"Neither  do  I,  I  am  sure,"  chimed  in  another 
voice,  which  Mrs.  Spafford  afterward  learned 
was  apt  to  be  a  leading  one. 

Thus  encouraged,  each  and  all  began  eagerly 
to  disclaim  all  knowledge  of  mission  fields, 
all  acquaintance  with  missionaries,  and  —  I 
had  almost  said  all  desire  to  become  educated 
in  these  directions. 


A  Problem.  237 

"  Oh,  well,"  said  Mrs.  Spafford,  briskly, 
"  then  we  are  the  very  people  who  ought 
to  have  a  mission  band;  one  of  its  objects 
is  to  become  acquainted  with  the  field,  and 
to  have  an  intelligent  knowledge  of  mission 
aries.  Shall  we  not  by  .all  means  try  to  sup 
plement  our  educations  which  seem  so  deficient 
in  that  direction  ?  I  say  '  we,'  because  I  have 
recently  awakened  to  the  fact  that  I  am  alarm 
ingly  deficient,  and  I  want  you  gay  young 
ladies  to  rouse  me  to  a  pitch  of  enthusiasm. 
Come,  let  us  vote  to  organize  forthwith,  and 
make  a  complete  success  of  it,  and  stimulate 
others." 

Still  those  girls  looked  at  each  other  and 
held  back.  They  were  not  touched  even  with 
the  romance  of  missions  yet;  it  looked  like 
the  dullest  of  all  ideas  ;  they  saw  no  possibility 
of  getting  any  "fun,"  out  of  it;  and  what 
do  most  girls  at  a  certain  age  live  for  but  fun  ? 

"  I  don't  know,"  Marion  Wells  said,  slowly. 
"It  seems  to  me  that  our  mothers  are  the 
proper  persons  for  such  work.  They  are 
interested  and  they  know  what  to  say  when 
they  get  together,  and  we  don't." 


238  The  Pocket  Measure. 

Then  Mrs  Spafford  : 

"  That  is  just  the  point.  The  mothers,  some 
of  them,  know  what  to  say,  and  the  daughters 
want  to  learn,  so  that  they  will  know.  Besides, 
don't  you  know  that  it  takes'^Ws  to  push 
these  things  ?  I  look  to  you  to  set  the  mothers 
an  example.  Doesn't  it  strike  you  as  a  pleasant 
thing  to  think  of  meeting  and  studying  up 
these  matters  together,  each  adding  a  bit  to 
the  general  interest?  Mrs.  Temple  tells  me 
that  the  young  ladies  in  the  Twelfth  Street 
Church  enjoy  their  meetings  exceedingly. 

"The  trouble  is,"  said  Addie  Stowell, 
speaking  evidently  for  a  number  of  them, 
"or  at  the  least  the  trouble  with  me  is,  that 
I  really  haven't  any  money  to  give.  I  could 
go  to  father  and  coax  him  to  give  me  ten 
cents  a  month,  I  suppose,  and  he  would  try 
to  do  it ;  but  really  he  has  just  as  much  as  he 
can  do  to  get  along,  and  I  know  even  ten 
cents  a  month  would  be  inconvenient  to  him 
sometimes.  Besides,  I  never  could  see  any  sense 
in  girls  going  to  their  fathers  for  money 
to  give,  and  then  calling  it  their  giving.  It 
is  my  father  who  does  the  giving  in  such  cases, 


A  Problem.  239 

and  why  shouldn't  he  do  it  in  the  first  place, 
without  having  it  pass  through  my  hands  ?  It 
always  reminds  me  of  mother  letting  me  carry 
the  scissors  to  auntie,  when  I  was  a  little  thing, 
she  taking  hold  of  the  points.  I  always  sup 
posed  that  I  carried  them,  and  was  highly 
delighted.  But  I  would  like  to  feel  that  I 
had  gotten  beyond  that  stage." 

Mrs.  Spafford  turned  toward  the  eager, 
energetic  speaker  with  a  gratified  face.  Here 
was  her  first  breath  of  encouragement;  here 
was  a  girl  who  thought  for  herself,  and  had 
thought  out  certain  problems  sufficiently  at 
least  to  desire  to  find  the  answer.  Having 
broken  the  ice  of  reserve  there  were  many 
voices  to  sustain  her. 

"I  feel  very  much  so,"  declared  one  and 
another,  and  yet  another,  until  half  the 
young  ladies  in  the  room  had  assented. 

"Of  course  I  can  go  to  papa  for  money," 
explained  Miss  Lily  Archer,  toying  gracefully 
with  her  parasol  as  she  spoke ;  "  but  what 
is  the  sense?  Papa  gives  for  missions  — 
always  subscribes  largely  to  the  Boards,  and 
that  is  just  the  same  as  our  giving,  of  course; 


240  The  Pocket  Measure. 

so  I  think  there  is  no  use  in  asking  him  for 
more.  Besides,  what  a  miserable  little  drop 
in  the  bucket  ten  cents  a  month  would 
make  ! " 

"  That  would  depend  upon  how  man}'-  drops  fell 
into  the  bucket,"  said  Addie  Stowell,  promptly, 
who  always  came  out  on  the  side  that  seemed 
to  her  at  the  moment  the  logical  one,  whether 
or  not  it  contradicted  a  previously  expressed 
opinion. 

"  Don't  you  have  a  definite  amount  of  your 
own,  to  spend  according  to  your  judgment  ?  " 
questioned  Mrs.  Spafford  of  the  fair  Lily. 

"  Oh  dear,  no  ?  I  never  could  get  along 
with  definite  amounts.  I  am  never  definite 
about  anything.  The  way  I  do  when  I  want 
a  thing,  I  buy  it,  and  send  the  bill  to  papa 
and  he  pays  it,  and  that  is  the  end  of  it." 

And  Miss  Lily  looked  around  on  the  groug 
of  girls  less  fortunately  situated  with  a  pretty 
little  air  of  superiorit3r.  She  was  glad  that 
her  father  was  a  millionaire. 

As  for  Mrs.  Spafford,  she  extended  her 
inquiry,  and  found  that  in  all  that  company 
of  girls,  some  of  whom  had  fathers  quite 


A  Problem.  241 

able  to  furnish  them  with  small  amounts  of 
their  own,  and  teach  them  how  to  systematically 
use  them,  only  two  were  being  thus  educated. 
Then  of  course  she  gave  some  moments  of 
thought  to  that  useless  wish,  which  has  been 
wished  over  so  many  times  it  is  threadbare. 
If  she  could  only  get  the  ear  of  the  fathers 
and  mothers  of  the  church,1  and  beg  them 
to  bring  the  next  generation  up  with  a  due 
sense  of  the  importance  of  individual  re 
sponsibility,  and  the  relative  value  of  money 
and  souls,  the  work  of  evangelization  would 
be  done !  Meantime,  taking  life  not  as  she 
would  have  made  it  if  she  were  a  grandmother, 
and  these  were  all  her  grandchildren,  brought 
up  by  her  thus  far,  but  as  it  was  being  lived 
before  her  now,  in  all  this  flutter  of  prettiness 
and  silliness,  what  was  she  going  to  do  with 
them  ?  She  confessed  to  herself  that  making 
pretty  machines  of  them,  to  be  used  in  passing 
ten-cent  pieces  from  their  fathers'  pockets  to 
the  treasury  of  the  church  was  as  little  to  her 
mind  as  it  was  to  Addie  Stowell's. 
.  Yet  here  were  the  facts.  Those  who  could 
have  asked  and  secured  definite  amounts  to 


242  The  Pocket  Measure. 

use  as  they  pleased,  did  not  please  to  assume 
responsibilities  —  would  much  rather  live  in 
the  careless,  irresponsible  fashion  that  they  had 
been  educated.  Beside,  even  though  they 
had  caught  the  fancy,  they  were  not  sufficiently 
interested  in  missions  to  pledge  ten  cents  a 
month,  and  conscientiously  abide  by  the 
pledge.  They  could  promise,  oh  yes  and  so 
could  parrots,  and  she  was  afraid  that  there 
would  be  almost  as  much  sense  of  the  sacred- 
ness  of  a  promise  in  the  one  case  as  in  the 
other.  Another  fault  growing  out  of  the  fact 
that  she  was  not  their  grandmother,  and  had 
not  brought  them  up.  Another  point :  by  far 
the  larger  majority  of  these  girls  could  not 
have  commanded  definite  incomes,  ever  so 
small.  Their  fathers  were,  some  of  them, 
too  poor,  and  in  other  eases,  thought  they  were 
too  poor  to  do  anything  of  the  sort.  Then 
there  were  some  without  fathers  —  a  few 
already  dependent  on  their  own  exertions  for 
support ;  and  most  of  them  had  so  many  wants, 
real  or  fancied,  that  given  a  certain  sum  of 
money  to  spend  as  they  pleased,  Mrs.  Spafford 
was  almost  sure  that  they  would  please  to  spend 


A  Problem.  243 

none  of  it  on  such  an  unknown  cause  as 
foreign  missions. 

"Z  don't  believe  in  foreign  missions,  any 
how,"  murmured  Lena  Bacon ;  and  though 
the  others  hushed  her  warningly,  and  shook 
their  heads  towards  Mrs.  Spafford,  and  were 
too  carefully  educated  in  etiquette  to  believe 
it  proper  to  express  their  views  on  this  point 
in  such  a  presence,  yet  they  were  by  no 
means  too  well  educated  not  to  agree  with 
Lena.  If  anything  was  done  with  these  girls 
it  must  be  foundation  work. 

"  First  principles,  that  should  have  been 
learned  at  their  mothers'  knees,"  murmured 
Mrs.  Spafford  and  then  she  showed  what  man 
ner  of  spirit  she  was  of,  by  saying  also  to 
herself,  courageously  :  "  Very  well,  Gallic  Spaf 
ford,  they  will  never  learn  them  earlier ;  now 
see  if  you  can  teach  them." 

How  to  begin?  that  was  the  question.  It 
was  not  a  new  question  to  Mrs.  Spafford,  she 
had  thought  of  it  many  times  during  the  past 
week,  and  was  in  part  prepared. 

"  It  is  very  evident,"  she  said,  in  a  clear, 
business-like  tone,  "  that  the  first  thing  we 


244  The  Pocket  Measure. 

need  to  do  is  to  make  some  money."  Now, 
she  had  the  attention  of  every  girl ;  a  scheme 
for  making  money  they  were  always  ready  to 
hear  about.  Nay,  they  were  ready  with  sug 
gestions. 

"  We  might  have  a  festival,  or  fair,  or  some 
thing  of  that  kind,"  immediately,  and  with 
eagerness,  said  one  of  their  number;  where 
upon  equally  eager  voices  joined  in  and  affirmed 
what  they  thought,  to  meet  and  make  fancy 
articles,  and  have  a  fair  would  be  just 
lovely. 

Mrs.  Spafford  was  in  no  sense  dismayed ; 
she  had  not  lived  through  twenty-five  years 
of  life,  and  managed  many  girls,  without  hav 
ing  heard  frequently  of  fairs  and  festivals, 
and  old  folk's  suppers,  and  3*oung  folk's  con 
certs,  and  character  parties  and  tableaux,  and 
mum  socials,  and  socials  that  were  not  mum, 
and  oyster  suppers,  and  strawberry  and  ice 
cream  festivals,  and  any  and  every  other  imag 
inable  device  for  obtaining  money  for  "  the 
cause."  She  knew  this  disease  in  all  of  its 
phases  had  special  possession  of  "the  girls," 
and  must  reach  its  crisis.  One  thing  was 


A  Problem.  245 

certain  :  If  "  out  of  the  abundance  of  the 
heart  the  mouth  speaketh,"  the  hearts  of  these 
young  misses  were  very  much  set  on  matters  of 
this  kind,  for  they  immediately  became  voluble, 
and  Mrs.  Spafford  had  to  rouse  herself  from 
her  study  of  human  nature,  and  plunge  into 
the  thick  of  it,  for  fear  they  would  have  a 
tableau  party  organized  before  her  eyes. 

"  Why  do  you  suppose  we  always  think  of 
devices  of  this  kind  whenever  we  talk  about 
money  for  the  cause  of  Christ  ? " 

It  was  a  general  question,  but,  after  a 
little  astonished  pause,  Addie  Stowell  an 
swered  : 

"Why,  because  we  girls  have  no  other 
ways  of  raising  money ;  when  we  want  to  give 
anything,  and  don't  want  to  coax  our  fathers 
to  do  it,  arid  let  us  call  it  ours,  we're  just 
obliged  to  make  fancy  work  and  have  fairs, 
and  oblige  people  to  buy.  What  else  is  there 
to  do?" 

"Why,  Mrs.  Spafford,  do  you  object  to 
such  methods  of  raising  money?" 

"  Let  us  see  if  we  do.  Miss  Stowell,  didn't 
I  hear  you  say  that  you  could  riot  command 


246  The  Pocket  Measure. 

money  of  your  own?  Suppose  you  could  use 
some  to  good  purpose  if  you  had  it  ?  " 

"  I'd  like  to  have  the  chance  once,"  said 
Addie,  with  prompt  emphasis,  and  the  girls 
laughed. 

"  Very  well ;  now  I  propose  that  you  make 
a  number  of  fancy  articles,  tidies,  pin-cushions 
and  the  like,  and  some  cake  and  perhaps  coffee, 
and  have  a  fair  in  the  course  of  a  few  weeks, 
at  your  house ;  and  announce  it  in  church  for 
the  benefit  of  Miss  Addie  Stowell,  and  on 
the  evening  in  question  let  all  these  young 
ladies  flutter  around  and  beseech  people  to 
buy  your  tidies  and  cushions  and  cake ;  be 
sure  a  good  price  is  set  on  them  —  perhaps  just 
twice  what  they  are  worth  will  not  be  too 
much,  considering  the  object  —  and  let  an 
almost  persecution  be  kept  up  during  the  eve 
ning,  by  yourself  and  friends,  for  the  sake  of 
the  cause !  How  would  that  impress  you  ?  " 

"  Mrs.  Spafford  ! "  said  Addie,  with  glowing 
cheeks,  and  eyes  that  did  not  seem  to  know 
whether  to  sparkle  with  indignation,  or  dilate 
with  amazement. 

"  Why,   Mrs.   Spafford ! "    chorused  a  dozen 


A  Problem.  247 

other  voices ;  and  laughter  and  exclamations 
of  astonishment  and  dismay  were  the  order  of 
the  next  few  minutes. 

Meantime,  Mrs.  Spafford  asked  calmly; 

"  Have  I  caricatured  church  fairs  in  the  least, 
young  ladies  ?  Isn't  it  a  true  picture  ?  " 

"But,  Mrs.  Spafford,  that  would  be  a  per- 
sonal  matter ;  so  different  from  a  church.  Why, 
it  would  be  a  perfect  insult ! " 

"  My  dear  girls  " —  and  the  gravity  of.  their 
hostess'  voice  quieted  all  the  company  —  shall 
we  be  more  regardful  of  our  own  personal 
reputations  than  we  are  of  the  cause  of  Christ  ?  " 

Utter  silence  for  a  moment,  and  then  Marion 

Wells  came  to  the  front : 

» 

"  But  Mrs.  Spafford ;  of  course  we  know 
that  church  fairs,  and  all  such  things  are  man 
aged  disgracefully,  generally;  but  suppose  we 
had  one  that  was  managed  right ;  say  we 
worked  hard  and  got  a  great  many  pretty 
things  ready,  and  set  just  a  proper  price  on 
them,  such  as  everybody  would  own  was  what 
they  were  worth,  and  then  had  our  entertain 
ment,  without  tormenting  people,  just  letting 
them  buy  what  they  pleased,  and  kept  out  all 


248  The  Pocket  Measure. 

objectionable  things ;  there  couldn't  possibly  be 
any  harm  in  that  ?  " 

Mrs.  Spafford  hesitated ;  not  because  she  had 
nought  to  say,  but  because  she  was  not  cer 
tain  of  her  material.  Could  she  take  real  high 
ground  with  them  ?  "  Come  out  from  among 
them  and  be  ye  separate."  Would  they  under 
stand  that?  "  Be  not  conformed  to  this 
world."  Would  they  understand  that?  "If 
meat  maketh  my  brother  to  offend,  I  will  eat 
no  meat  while  the  world  stands."  Would 
they  understand  that?  Studying  their  faces 
—  bright,  pretty  faces,  though  they  were  —  she 
much  feared  that  it  would  be  like  speaking  in 
an  unknown  tongue. 

u  Well,"  she  said,  thoughtfully,  "  I  presume 
I  shall  differ  with  some  of  you,  but  do  you 
know  I  have  a  tendency  toward  being  inde- 
pendant,  like  Miss  S  to  well.  Wasn't  it  you, 
my  dear,  who  never  liked  to  ask  your  father 
for  money  to  give,  and  then  pretend  you  had 
given  it  yourself?  I  agree  with  you.  I  don't 
like  to  work  hard  on  —  a  yellow  dog,  we  will 
say  —  curled  up  on  a  piece  of  canvas  filled  in 
with  black  or  blue,  or  something ;  and  then 


A  Problem.  249 

have  Mrs.  Jones  say  to  her  husband  at  the 
tea-table  :  "  My  dear,  you  must  give  me  some 
money  to-night ;  I  suppose  I  have  got  to  go 
to  that  fair ;  the  girls  are  urging  me  every 
time  they  see  me.  I  shall  have  to  buy  some 
thing,  of  course.  I  think  I  shall  get  that 
yellow  dog,  that  one  of  them  has  been  at  work 
at  so  long.  They  will  have  a  horrid  price  on 
it,  of  course ;  and  I  shouldn't  think  of  afford 
ing  it,  for  a  moment,  if  it  were  not  for  the 
cause.  Of  course  we  must  help  the  mission 
work  along.'  So  Mrs.  Smith  comes  to  the  fair 
and  buys  my  yellow  dog,  and  shows  it  to  her 
friends,  and  says  it  is  not  very  well  done,  and 
was  a  ruinous  price,  and  she  doesn't  really 
care  for  it,  but,  of  course,  she  had  to  buy  some 
thing,  and  so,  for  the  sake  of  the  cause,  she 
took  it.  Now,  whose  money  is  that  which  the 
yellow  dog  earns  ?  If  Mrs.  Smith  speaks  literal 
truth  her's  or  mine  ?  " 

It  was  impossible  not  to  laugh,  and  many 
of  tjie  girls  being  quick  witted  saw  the  point, 
and  admitted  that  they  had  often  been  cross  for 
days  over  the  remarks  that  they  had  heard 
about  work  being  bought,  not  because  it  was 


250  The  Pocket  Measure. 

admired  or  desired,  but  for  the  sake  of  benev 
olence. 

"  When,  in  fact,  there  was  no  benevolence 
about  it,"  declared  Addie  Stowell,  stoutly. 
Mrs.  Parsons  is  forever  talking  in  just  that  way ; 
always  buying  things  at  fairs  and  festivals,  out 
of  pure  benevolence.  It  is  no  such  thing ;  she 
always  haggles  and  minces  until  she  gets  the 
worth  of  her  money,  and  more  too,  and  buys 
just  exactly  what  she  wants,  and  calls  it  charity. 
I  don't  believe  in  such  people." 

"  I  don't  believe  in  educating  people  in  that 
way,"  said  Mrs.  SpafTord,  promptly,  taking 
advantage  of  Addie's  illustration.  "  Haven't 
you  often  seen  gentlemen  eat  fifty  cents  worth 
of  oysters  and  cake  and  cream  and  fruit  and 
celery,  and  I  don't  know  what  else,  and  pay 
twenty-five  cents  for  it  all,  and  think  they 
were  being  benevolent  ?  " 

"  Hundreds  of  times,"  said  Addie.  "  But  now 
look  here,  .Mrs.  Spafford,  what  can  be  done 
about  it  ?  There  is  no  other  way  that  I  know 
of  for  us  girls  to  earn  money.  I  wish  there 
was ;  I  hate  the  whole  thing  myself.  I  never 
went  to  a  performance  of  the  kind  in  my  life 


A  Problem.  251 

that  there  wasn't  a  fuss  of  some  sort  before  it 
was  all  over.  Somebody's  feelings  are  always 
getting  hurt ;  somebody  '  takes  too  much  on 
herself;'  or  somebody  doesn't  do  anything  but 
'  mince  around  and  give  directions.'  Oh,  my  ! 
I  know  all  about  it;  but  I  don't  see  any  way 
out." 


CHAPTER  XV. 

MEASURING    CHARACTER. 

HAT  would  you  say  to  our  going  into 
business  ?  " 

It  was  Mrs.  Spafford  who  asked  the 
question,  with  as  composed  an  air  as  though 
she  was  saying  the  most  commonplace  thing 
imaginable.  No  wonder  the  girls  stared. 

"  Going    into     business ! "     repeated     Addie 
Stowell,  at   last.      "  Why,  Mrs.   Spafford,  what 
can  you  mean  ?  " 

"  I  believe  it  is  feasible,"  their  hostess  said, 
thoughtfully.  I  think  it  probable  that  each 
of  us  can  do  some  special  thing  very  well 
by  which  we  could  earn  money.  What  is 
there  to  hinder  our  uniting  our  forces  and 

2$2 


Measuring  Character.  253 

earning  it?  How  is  it,  Miss  Addie?  Can't 
you  at  this  moment  think  of  a  branch  of  in 
dustry  which  could  be  made  a  fair  exchange 
for  dollars  and  cents  ? " 

"  Why,  yes,"  said  Addie,  hesitating  a  mo 
ment.  Then,  smiling,  "  I  know  how  to  crochet 
almost  anything,  if  people  were  willing  to  buy 
it  after  it  is  done." 

"  Very  well,  suppose  now,  for  the  curiosity 
of  the  thing,  we  learn  if  there  is  not  a  branch 
of  work  for  each  of  us.  I,  for  instance,  can 
do  plain  sewing  —  perhaps  a  little  that  is  not 
so  very  plain,  if  I  choose.  Who  embroiders, 
and  who  braids,  and  who  hemstitches  ? " 

The  subject  proved  to  be  one  which  un 
sealed  all  lips,  and  the  girls  found,  greatly 
to  their  amusement,  that  not  one  present  but 
asserted  her  individuality  by  promptly  se 
lecting  something  from  the  great  field  of  fancy 
work  that  she  liked  to  do  —  in  fact,  would 
rather  do  a  little  of  than  not. 

"But  then,"  declared  Addie,  "I  don't 
know  what  good  it  will  do  us.  Who  wants  to 
buy  such  things  ?  They  only  do  it  for  the 
sake  of  benevolence,  and  we  have  to  coax  and 


254  The  Pocket  Measure. 

coax  until  I'm  just  ashamed.  Besides,  Mrs. 
Spafford,  I  thought  you  didn't  believe  in  it 
at  all." 

"  What  ?  In  going  into  business  ?  Oh, 
yes  I  do.  I  am  a  firm  believer  in  money  make- 
ing  —  legitimate  business  of  any  sort  I  have  a 
great  respect  for.  I  don't  propose  a  fair,  you 
understand,  with  an  evening  of  eager,  exciting 
work,  with  spirits  wrought  up  to  fever  heat, 
to  be  followed  by  days,  and  sometimes  weeks, 
of  reaction,  when  all  the  ordinary  work  of  life 
becomes  vapid.  This  that  I  propose  is  an  en 
tirely  different  matter." 

Still  the  girls  looked  from  one  to  another, 
and  then  back  to  her,  and  were  evidently 
greatly  bewildered. 

"  It  is  a  conundrum,"  laughed  Addie,  at  last 
"  and  I  don't  believe  we  can  any  of  us  guess 
it.  If  we  all  give  it  up  will  you  tell  us  the 
answer  ?  " 

"  It  is  just  as  simple,"  declared  their  hostess 
smiling,  "as  that  two  and  two  make  four.  I 
am  proposing  a  partnership  business,  based 
from  the  very  first  on  strictly  business  rules 
and  regulations,  without  an  atom  of  benevo- 


Measuring  Character.  255 

lence  about  it.  Why  isn't  it  an  entirely  rea 
sonable  thing?  Suppose,  for  illustration,  that 
we  had  a  room  in  the  central  part  of  the  town, 
suited  to  our  needs,  and  there  we  opened  a  — 
well,  until  we  find  a  better  name,  we  will  call 
it  a  fancy-store,  though  I  do  hope  we  should 
develop  a  taste  for  strictly  useful  articles  as 
well  as  fancy  ones.  Now,  what  if  each  of  us 
was  willing  to  advance  —  not  contribute,  you 
understand  —  but  advance  fifty  cents  each  as 
a  capital.  With  this  capital  we  purchase  each 
some  material  and  manufacture  one,  two  or 
three  articles  for  sale.  When  all  is  ready  we 
open  our  store,  say  for  two  hours  on  Saturday 
afternoons,  one  of  our  number  serving  as  clerk 
for  the  first  Saturday,  another  taking  her  place 
on  the  Saturday  following,  we  meantime  prom 
ising  that  the  store  shall  be  kept  supplied  with 
the  article  or  articles  which  we  have  promised 
to  make,  provided  its  returns  justify  the  pur 
chasing  of  more  material.  We  ask  no  one  to 
buy  for  the  sake  of  benevolence ;  we  put  no 
extravagant  prices  on  anything  in  the  name 
of  benevolence ;  we  conduct  our  business  in 
all  respects  as  our  fathers  and  brothers  do, 


256  The  Pocket  Measure. 

dividing  the   income   each   month   amongst   the 

o  o 

stockholders,  and  pledging  ourselves  to  use 
one-tenth  of  it  in  benevolence ;  if  it  shall 
amount  to  ten  cents  a  month  for  each'  of  us 
our  way  will  be  clear  to  organize  a  Young 
Ladies'  Band." 

Then  what  a  tumult  there  was  in  that  Httle 
parlor !  They  all  talked  at  once,  and  laughed, 
and  exclaimed,  and  stormed  the  inventor  of 
this  strange  scheme  with  questions.  She  had 
need  of  all  her  wits. 

"  But,  Mrs.  Spafford,  how  could  we  plan  so 
as  to  supply  the  demand?  Suppose  we  had 
but  one  pin-cushion,  for  instance,  and  every 
mortal  woman  who  appeared  on  some  Saturday 
afternoon  should  insist  on  having  a  pin-cushion  ? 
Women  are  just  so  perverse." 

"  Then  we  would  have  our  secretary  notify 
the  members  that  all  the  pin-cushion  force  were 
desired  to  put  their  brains  and  fingers  to  work 
and  make  pin-cushions  in  view  of  the  next 
Saturday's  onset." 

"  Where  would  we  get  our  material  ?  " 

"  We  would  need  a  buying  committee  —  or, 
rather,  a  buying  partner ;  that  is  quite  common 


Measuring  Character.  257 

in  all  large  firms  —  some  one,  or  two,  whose 
duty  it  would  be  to  purchase  material,  write 
orders  to  be  sent  in  as  to  what  was  needed, 
and  the  money  for  the  purchases  calculated 
beforehand,  and  drawn  from  the  funds  held  by 
paying  clerk." 

"  Suppose  she  hadn't  money  enough  for  the 
purchases  ?  " 

"  Then  we  should  manifestly  have  to  do  with 
out  the  material  until  such  time  as  we  could 
afford  to  enlarge  our  business." 

"  Couldn't  we  buy  on  credit  ?  " 

Both  Mrs.  Spafford  and  Addie  Stowell  shook 
their  heads  emphatically  at  this,  and  Addie 
said  : 

"No  ma'am!  You  don't  catch  me  launch 
ing  out  in  any  enterprise  that  hasn't  a  solid 
cash  foundation.  I  should  expect  my  father 
to  disown  me  forthwith.  If  there  is  anything 
he  hates  it  is  the  credit  system." 

"  What  if  we  become  bankrupt  ?  " 

"  There  is  no  danger  of  it,"  Mrs.  Spafford 
answered  promptly.  "A  business  done  on 
cash  principles  has  no  occasion  for  bankruptcy." 

"  Well,"   said  Marion  Wells,  when  the  babel 


258  The  Pocket  Measure. 

of  tongues  was  somewhat  subsiding,  "it  is  a 
novel  idea,  certainly,  and  it  is  a  great  deal 
more  fun  than  a  fair;  but,  after  all,  I  can't 
see  what  special  difference  there  is  in  the  right 
or  wrong  of  the  matter.  1  think  fairs  are  all 
right,  but  if  I  didn't  I  fail  to  see  why  I  shouldn't 
condemn  this  also." 

"Why,  you  don't  think  stores  are  wrong, 
do  you  ?  " 

This  question,  in  various  forms,  was  leveled 
at  her  by  several  of  the  girls  at  once,  Mrs. 
Spafford  sitting  back  a  silent  listener,  and  en 
joying  this  sharpening  of  their  wits. 

"  Oh,  well,"  Marion  said,  "  of  course  it  was 
nice  to  use  such  phrases,  but  also  of  course 
it  wouldn't  be  a  real  store,  nor  conducted  on 
any  such  principles.  It  would  just  be  a  fair, 
or  bazar,  or  something  of  that  kind,  with  a 
different  name." 

This  made  Mrs.  Spafford  sit  erect  aud  speak 
decidedly : 

"  Not  if  you  follow  out  my  plan,  girls.  I 
warn  you  beforehand  that  I  mean  nothing  but 
business.  I  think  very  likely  that  real  "  fun," 
as  you  call  it,  can  be  gotten  out  of  the  idea 


Measuring  Character.  259 

but  it  is  not  to  have  that  for  a  foundation. 
I  have  been  proposing  a  strictly  business  trans 
action,  and  if  you  vote  to  adopt  my  suggestion 
it  must  be  with  the  understanding  that  every 
member  of  the  firm  is  held  rigidly  to  business 
rules  and  regulations  from  the  very  outset. 
In  fact,  I  hope  one  outcome  from  the  enter 
prise,  if  you  take  it  up,  will  be  a  discovery  — 
if  any  of  you  need  to  make  a  discovery  —  that 
young  ladies  can  be  as  thoroughly  business 
like  and  methodical  in  their  work  as  men. 
We  expect  to  do  what  is  strictly  woman's  work, 
it  is  true,  and  to  do  it  in  womanly  ways,  but 
those  ways  should  never  for  a  moment  be 
allowed  to  become  a  synonym  for  looseness  or 
inaccuracies.  Now,  as  to  the  question  concern 
ing  the  essential  difference  between  such  an 
enterprise  and  what  is  known  as  a  church  fair. 
One  of  my  objections  to  the  latter  way  of  work 
ing  is  the  fact  that  there  is  no  legitimate  place 
for  any  such  work.  The  church  —  even  its 
chapel  or  parlor  or  lecture-room,  by  whatever 
name  you  call  its  smaller  rooms  —  is  not,  and, 
according  to  my  idea,  should  never  become  a 
place  of  merchandise.  Buying  and  selling  may 


260  The  Pocket  Measure. 

be  very  legitimate  transactions,  but  we  don't 
want  to  see  them  carried  on  in  a  church. 
Even  when  we  hire  a  hall  for  the  purpose  it  is 
not  actually  suited  for  such  a  purpose,  and  the 
large  amount  that  is  likely  to  be  charged  for 
it  detracts  so  much  from  the  possible  profits 
that  it  of  itself  begets  in  us  a  feverish  desire 
to  make  up  that  leak  by  enormous  profits,  or 
questionable  side-traps,  like  post-offices  and 
lemonade-wells,  even  if  we  do  not  descend  to 
the  actual  coarseness  of  ring-cakes  or  grab- 
bags." 

This  plain  speaking  produced  a  sensation. 
The  girls  bestowed  speaking  glances  on  each 
other ;  convenient  elbows  were  nudged,  and 
one  or  two  quite  loud  "  ahems "  indicated  that 
some  portion  of  the  audience  considered  another 
portion  of  it  touched  on  sensitive  points.  None 
of  these  little  asides  did  Mrs.  Spafford  pause 
to  notice,  but  hastened  to  add: 

"  Then  another  and  very  important  draw 
back,  is  the  fact  that  preparing  for  a  fair  alwa}'s 
brings  a  period  of  feverish  haste  and  excite 
ment  ;  the  eventful  evening  about  which  so 
much  talk  has  been  made,  and  of  which  so 


Measuring  Character.  261 

much  is  expected,  is  chosen  and  announced, 
and  draws  near,  and  the  gay  young  workers 
wake  up  at  the  eleventh  hour  to  discover  that 
they  are  not  nearly  ready  for  it.  Then  come 
late  hours,  and  neglect  of  books  and  study, 
and  duty  of  almost  every  sort,  and  the  girls  run 
hither  and  thither  distractedly,  unable  to  think 
of  anything  but  the  approaching  crisis.  Finally 
it  comes,  and  the  last  day  before  the  final  crush, 
is  often  filled  up  with  heart-burnings  caused 
by  mistakes  made,  or  quick  words  spoken, 
under  the  impulse  of  haste  and  strong  excite 
ment.  Haven't  you  admitted  here  this  after 
noon  that  such  is  nearly  always  the  case  ?  Be 
sides,  I  wonder  if  any  of  you  can  have  for 
gotten  the  distressing  reaction  of  the  next 
morning,  when  only  a  very  few  of  you  rise  to 
the  degree  of  self-abnegation  necessary  to  help 
ing  royally  in  the  clearing  up  ?  The  rest  stay 
at  home  and  are  miserable,  because  their  con 
sciences  hint  that  they  ought  to  be  helping ; 
and  those  doing  the  work  are  miserable,  be 
cause  they  are  tempted  to  say  sharp,  unchari 
table  things  about  the  people  who  are  not 
helping ;  and  for  days  thereafter  there  seems 


262  The  Pocket  Measure. 

to  be  very  little  in  life  worth  doing ;  while, 
at  the  same  time,  nothing  looks  so  improbable 
as  that  they  will  ever  want  to  go  through  the 
trials  of  another  fair.  Now,  all  this  is  unnat 
ural  and  unhealthy.  In  business  life  it  is  very 
different.  There  is  a  regular  routine,  which 
never,  or  at  least  need  never,  rise  to  an  absorb 
ing  height,  to  be  followed  by  days  of  reaction. 
Besides,  there  is  no  temptation  to  lose  all  deli 
cacy  of  feeling  and  sense  of  propriety,  and 
make  oneself  a  nuisance  by  tormenting  people 
to  buy  what  they  do  not  want,  because  it  is 
for  the  Church.  As  if  the  Church  were  a  beg 
gar,  and  must  be  supported  by  public  charity ! " 

Mrs.  Spafford's  cheeks  glowed ;  she  was  very 
sensitive  where  the  honor  of  the  Church  was 
concerned.  As  she  looked  at  the  matter,  it 
had  been  made,  by  those  who  should  have 
guarded  its  reputation  carefully  to  wear  the 
"  guise  of  a  pauper  "  long  enough. 

Some  of  the  girls  laughed;  they  thought 
their  leader  peculiar;  they  were  incapable  of 
taking  such  high  ground.  Why  should  they 
not  be  ?  Their  mothers  before  them  had  not 
taken  it :  had  not  so  educated  them.  But  there 


Measuring  Character.  263 

were  two  or  three  whose  thoughtful  faces  and 
earnest  eyes  helped  Mrs.  Spafford  wonderfully. 
She  could  plainly  see  there  was  material  here 
for  growth.  If  only  two  or  three,  and  those 
leaders,  could  be  educated,  even  at  this  late 
day,  to  take  such  a  stand  as  she  was  sure  ought 
to  be  taken  on  all  these  questions,  the  genera 
tion  to  come  would  see  a  reform.  But  whether 
most  of  the  girls  saw  the  principle  at  stake 
or  not,  they  saw  the  novelty,  and  were  inter 
ested  and  excited  over  the  scheme.  To  go 
into  business,  to  make  money,  to  be  partners, 
and  have  a  buying  committee  and  a  money- 
drawer,  and  a  scheme  unlike  anything  else  that 
had  ever  been  tried,  was  something  that  they 
could  understand  and  appreciate ;  with  but 
one  exception,  they  voted  unanimously  in  favor 
of  the  scheme.  Miss  Lily  Archer  was  sure  it 
would  not  meet  with  mamma's  approval. 

"  Mamma  has  peculiar  ideas,"  she  said,  look 
ing  down  with  sweet  shyness  and  toying  with 
her  fan.  "  I  beg  your  pardon  for  saying  so, 
but  I  am  sure  she  will  think  it  unladylike." 

Poor  little  Lily  Archer !  Mrs.  Spafford  had 
herself  seen  her  personating  Rebekah  at  the 


264  The  Pocket  Measure. 

well,  dressed  in  a  startlingly  picturesque  cos 
tume,  dipping  up  lemonade  for  certain  fast 
young  men,  who  laughed  and  talked  too 
freely  with  the  Jewish  maiden,  to  repre 
sent  either  ancient  history  or  modern  pro 
priety,  according  to  the  views  of  some  ;  but 
the  fair  Lily  —  as  unlike  the  Jewish  type  of 
features,  and  color,  by  the  way,  as  her  mimic 
lemonade-well  was  unlike  the  spot  where 
Rebekah  watered  the  sheep  —  had  never  been 
taught  that  style  of  propriety.  Also,  she  had 
seen  her  in  a  tableau,  personating  a  richly 
dressed  and  richly  jeweled  dishonorable  wife, 
receiving  a  tender  caress  from  a  man  who 
was  not,  even  in  the  tableau,  her  husband ; 
and  neither  she  nor  her  mother  had  considered 
this  unladylike  !  What  could  be  expected 
from  such?  Nevertheless,  Miss  Lily  did  not 
positively  withdraw ;  she  said  she  would  think 
about  it ;  would  talk  with  mamma,  it  was  all 
so  very  new  and  queer;  nothing  like  it  had 
ever  been  done  in  "  our  set,  you  know."  Oh, 
she  would  help ;  make  pretty  things,  and  buy 
them  very  likely,  and  of  course  she  would  give 
the  fifty  cents.  Why  did  they  have  such  a 


Measuring  Character.  265 

ridiculously  small  sum  to  start  with  ?  Oh,  as 
to  giving,  and  all  that  sort  of  thing,  of  course 
she  would  help ;  but  she  couldn't  put  her 
name  down  as  one  committed  to  sustain  the 
enterprise ;  at  least  not  now. 

And  just  here  Mrs.  Spafford  interposed. 

No,  they  could  not  take  her  money ;  if  she 
were  not  ready  to  join  heart  and  hand  in  the 
work,  they  would  have  none  of  her.  It  was 
right  that  she  should  consult  her  mother,  of 
course ;  they  were  all  to  do  that.  Nothing  was 
to  be  definite  this  afternoon  except  plans  to  be 
submitted  to  the  heads  at  home ;  the  only 
question  to  be  settled  was,  "  Do  you  agree 
heartily,  uncompromisingly  to  all  this,  if  mother 
and  father  do  ? "  Still,  Miss  Lily's  name 
would  not  go  down ;  and  Mrs.  Spafford  had 
discovered  what  she  surmised  and  wanted  to 
know ;  that  "  mamma  "  was  put  in,  as  a  grace 
ful  way  of  saying  that  the  idea  looked  dull 
and  commonplace,  and  lacking  in  gentility  to 
the  fair  Lily. 

Occasionally  there  is  a  curious  offshoot  from 
the  parent  tree  as  unlike  what  might  be  ex 
pected  as  possible.  Just  such  an  unexpected 


266  The  Pocket  Measure. 

character  did  Lena  Bacon  suddenly  develop. 
She  shook  back  her  gay  brown  curls,  and 
flashed  her  bright  eyes,  and  declared  that  she 
thought  it  was  "just  fun."  Ten  times  nicer 
than  any  fair  she  had  ever  heard  of,  and  she 
was  going  into  it  with  all  her  heart,  and  could 
paint  Christmas  cards  in  a  perfectly  lovely 
way,  everybody  knew,  and  they'd  see  what 
she  would  do." 

"  What  shall  we  do  for  a  store  ? "  queried 
one,  and  the  question  brought  a  sudden  lull, 
and  all  eyes  looked  inquiringly  at  Mrs.  Spafford, 
as  though  she  were  then  and  there  expected 
to  produce  a  store  ready  for  occupancy. 

"  We  need  a  room  in  somebody's  house,"  she 
said,  promptly ;  "  a  good-sized,  convenient 
room,  that  some  person,  who  has  more  house 
room  than  she  needs,  will  rent  to  us  on  reason 
able  terms.  Oh,  yes,  indeed,  we  must  pay 
rent.  This  is  not  benevolence,  remember,  it 
is  business.  Who  of  us  wishes  to  beg  a  house 
to  live  in,  rent  free  ?  Where  shall  we  find  the 
person  to  appeal  to,  who  has  unnecessary  house 
room  ?  " 

Immediately  all  eyes  were  levelled  at  Addie 


Measuring  Character.  267 

Stowell ;  she  lived  with  her  father,  mother  and 
young  brother,  in  the  old  family  mansion 
which  had  been  almost  in  the  country  in  the 
days  long  ago,  before  the  city  moved  up  so  far. 
The  family  had  been  old,  aristocratic  and 
wealthy.  The  wealth  had  departed,  but  age 
and  aristocracy  were  left.  Still  it  was  no  sham 
aristocracy ;  the  family  had  no  more  idea  of 
trying  to  profess  themselves  rich,  now  that 
they  were  poor,  "than  they  had  thought  of  pro 
fessing  poverty  in  the  days  of  their  wealth. 
But  a  store  in  the  old  Stowell  homestead  !  That 
was  a  leap  somewhere,  surety!  And  yet  the 
house  was  so  large,  and  so  roomy,  and  so  quaint, 
and  so  exactly  what  would  delight  every  girl 
among  them  !  Addie  laughed. 

"You  all  look  at  me  as  though  I  owned  a 
first-class  store  in  my  own  right,"  she  said, 
gaily.  "I  know  what  you  are  every  one 
thinking  of.  You  see  yourselves,  at  this 
minute,  selling  tape  and  thread  and  pins  in  our 
big,  old  shut  up  parlor.  Ought  we  not  to  have 
a  thread  and  needle  and-so-forth  department, 
Mrs.  Spafford  ?  It  is  a  perfect  nuisance  to 
have  to  take  a  car  down  town  for  everything 


268  The  Pocket  Measure. 

of  that  sort  that  is  wanted ;  I  know  plenty  of 
people  who  think  so.  Well,  I'll  ask  mother 
and  father  ;  that's  the  best  /  can  do.  We  have 
thought  of  most  everything  to  help  along,  but 
we  never  thought  of  renting  the  parlor  for  a 
store  before  ;  now  that's  tha  truth.  But  why 
not  ?  Mother'll  be  willing,  I  think ;  I  don't 
know  about  father.  Why,  Lafayette  was  en 
tertained  in  that  house,  you  know,  and  General 
Washington  himself !  It  ought  to  be  dedicated 
to  liberty  and  the  pursuit  of  happiness,  then, 
oughtn't  it  ?  Sure  enough  !  Well,  I'll  see 
what  I  can  do." 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

"  LAST  NIGHT  "   MEASUEED    BY  DAYLIGHT. 

was  all  Fairyland  to  Jennie  West. 
The  evening  was  so  lovely,  the  car 
riage  so  luxurious,  the  accessories  all 
so  perfect ;  she  was  conscious  of  looking  re 
markably  well,  and  Will  was  so  handsome  ! 
Then,  too,  as  they  rolled  smoothly  down  Beck- 
man  avenue,  some  of  the  very  girls  that  she 
would  have  preferred  above  all  others  to  have 
seen  her  under  those  circumstances,  walked 
slowly  by,  casting  admiring  —  not  to  say  envious 
—  glances  at  the  occupants  of  the  carriage. 
Will  was  in  a  specially  genial  mood,  for  he 
was  a  young  man  given  to  fluctuations  in  his 
moods  even  when  with  Jennie  West;  some- 


270  The  Pocket  Measure. 

times  he  was  so  nearly  silent  as  to  be  almost 
moody,  and  his  heart  would  be  evidently  busy 
with  perplexing  thoughts,  but  on  this  evening 
he  chatted  gaily,  yet  with  a  gentleness  in  the 
gaiety  and  a  careful  attention  to  his  compan 
ion's  comfort,  such  as  made  her  heart  throb 
with  gratified  something  —  who  shall  say 
whether  it  was  love  or  pride  ?  The  subjects 
for  conversation  were  numerous,  and  sufficiently 
interesting,  so  that  Jennie,  while  she  thought 
of  that  important  matter  about  which  you 
will  remember  she  intended  to  talk  with  him 
that  very  evening,  she  told  herself  it  wasn't 
a  suitable  opportunity  just  now,  she  would  wait 
a  little,  and  as  they  iieared  the  whirl  of  the 
city  she  said,  still  to  her  inner  self:  "  When 
we  are  coming  home  will  be  just  the  time  for 
a  grave  subject  like  that ;  there  are  too  many 
people  looking  at  us  now,  and,  it  is  so  light 
and  bustling,  it  is  almost  like  being  in  society  ; 
when  it  is  dark  and  quiet  all  around  will  be 
a  much  more  suitable  time  for  earnest  talk. 
Will  is  so  full  of  life  now,  I  presume  he  will 
have  calmed  down  by  that  time."  So  she  dis 
missed  the  prayer-meeting  as  a  topic  for  con- 


Measured  hy  Daylight.  271 

versation,  and  gave  herself  up  to  pleasure. 
As  for  the  opera,  it  was  all  that  operas  gen 
erally  are,  and  perhaps  more  than  some.  The 
simple  truth  is  that  this  young  lady  and  gen 
tleman  in  purity  of  sentiment  were  above  the 
play  to  which  they  were  listening.  The  style 
of  dressing  presented  was  such  as  covered 
Jennie's  face  with  blushes,  and  made  her  at 
tendant  wish  several  times  that  he  had  not 
been  such  a  fool  as  to  bring  her.  The  main 
reason  that  either  of  them  endured  in  quiet 
that  which  offended  their  sense  of  propriety, 
was  because  the  house  was  well  filled  with 
fashionable  people  whose  position  in  society 
Jennie  at  least  thought  was  such  as  to  warrant 
one  in  being  pleased  with  whatever  pleased 
them.  So,  though  she  blushed,  she  also  laughed. 
Moreover,  there  was,  of  course,  a  great  deal 
to  enjoy ;  the  carefully  studied  scenery,  the 
witching  music,  the  exquisite  play  of  light 
and  shade,  the  exquisite  toilets  all  combined 
to  fascinate  a  wiser  head  than  Jennie,  at  her 
best,  possessed.  The  fact  that  a  great  deal 
of  the  singing  was  in  an  unknown  tongue,  was 
a  greater  source  for  thankfulness  than  at  least 


272  The  Pocket  Measure. 

these  two  realized.  However  much  she  might 
have  desired  to  admire,  because  it  was  a  fash 
ionable  opera,  and  the  fashionable  world  ad 
mired  it,  I  feel  sure  that  could  poor  Jennie 
have  understood  the  meaning  of  some  of  the 
sentences,  she  would  have  blushed  not  only, 
but  would  have  withdrawn  herself  from  that 
indecent  presence.  Whatever  may  have  been 
said  of  the  larger  portion  of  the  audience,  I 
am  glad  to  be  able  to  tell  you  that  Will  and 
Jennie  could  not  translate,  and  never  had 
heard  translated,  much  that  they  listened  to 
that  evening. 

This  being  the  case,  what  was  there  about 
it  all  that  seemed  such  an  intoxication  ?  Is 
there  something  peculiarly  sensuous  in  music? 

Jennie  found  herself  yielding  more  and  more 
to  the  spell  which  she  did  not  understand. 
Had  she  been  familiar  with  the  "  Lotus  Eaters," 
she  might  have  quoted  from  their  story  to  de 
scribe  her  sensations.  Life  —  real,  actual  day 
light  life  —  seemed  horrible  to  her  ;  some 
thing  to  shrink  from,  dread  ;  to  sit  forever  sur 
rounded  by  all  the  soft  and  tender  and  exquisite 
sights  and  sounds,  the  dreamy  lull  of  music 


Measured  by  Dai/light.  273 

floating  around  her,  Will  Coleman  slowly 
swaying  her  elegant  fan  to  and  fro  in  exquisite 
time  with  the  music ;  this  was  life,  happiness, 
heaven.  Nothing  else  was  worth  a  thought. 
Did  she  put  all  this  nonsense  into  words  ? 
Not  at  all ;  she  was  not  even  conscious,  save 
in  a  dim  way,  that  she  thought  it.  She  did 
not  know  that  her  mental  faculties -were  actu 
ally  intoxicated  ! 

Well,  it  ended  at  last,  as  even  such  hours 
of  bliss  will  end,  and  they  passed  out  into 
the  darkness.  Only  for  a  moment  —  they 
made  their  speedy  way  to  a  refreshment-room, 
and  Jennie  daintily  tasted  an  ice,  while  Will 
drank  before  her  eyes  a  glass  of  wine.  It  was 
something  that  he  rarely  did  before  her ; 
something  that  he  knew  she,  in  a  sort  of  fash 
ion,  disapproved ;  yet  to-night  he  was  excited, 
and  felt  that  he  needed  it  to  steady  his  nerves  ! 
Besides,  was  her  disapproval  so  very  great  ? 
She  only  shook  her  head  at  him  and  said : 
"Oh,  Will,  I  am  ashamed  of  you." 
But  she  smiled,  and  looked  so  pretty  while 
she  said  it,  that  he  felt  provoked  to  tempt  her 
to  say  it  again.  "  She  is  as  pretty  as  a  witch 


274  The  Pocket  Measure. 

to-night,"  he  muttered,  as  he  drained  the  last 
drop.  "  I  wish  I  could  take  her  to  the  theater, 
or  the  opera,  or  somewhere  every  night  of  her 
life,  and  there  were  no  days  between  to  think 
about.  I  wish  I  had  a  fortune.  Hang  it  all ! 
I  wonder  if  I  dare  take  another  glass?" 

It  was  more  fortunate  for  Jennie  than  she 
knew  that  he  decided  another  glass  unsafe ; 
his  was  not  the  sort  of  brain  that  would  bear 
even  one  glass  steadily,  and  he  hurried  her 
somewhat  abruptly  away  from  her  ice,  and  into 
the  carriage.  In  a  few  moments  they  left  the 
brilliantly  lighted  streets,  and  were  alone  and 
quiet.  No  society  now,  nothing  to  prevent  that 
earnest  talk  which  Jennie  was  to  have  had  with 
her  friend  that  evening.  The  soft  balmy  air 
hovered  around  them,  and  the  holy  stars  looked 
down  on  them,  and  every  influence  of  nature 
was  calming  and  ennobling.  What  was  the 
trouble  with  Jennie  ?  Every  nerve  was  in  an 
intense  and  unnatural  quiver.  She  had  by  no 
means  calmed  into  her  ordinary  self.  Life  was 
an  intoxication  still,  not  a  grave,  day-by-day 
reality.  She  didn't  think  of  the  days  at  all. 
Only  the  witching  star-lighted  nights,  and  soft 


Measured  by  Daylight.  275 

cushions,  and  careful  hands  to  draw  her  wrap 
pings  about  her.  She  hummed  a  bar  from  the 
most  dreamy  strain  that  the  opera  contained, 
and  said  : 

"  Wasn't  it  perfectly  lovely,  Will  ?  " 

"Did  you  like  it?"  he  asked  her,  and  he 
looked  down  on  her,  and  she  looked  beautiful 
to  him ;  neither  did  his  voice  have  its  usual 
poise.  He  had  the  added  excitement  of  a  glass 
of  wine  to  combat. 

"  Like  it ! "  she  said,  ecstatically,  "  it  was 
heaven  ! " 

The  comparison  did  not  jar  her,  neither  was 
it  said  with  an  intention  of  being  irreverent; 
her  senses  were  aglow. 

Do  you  think,  during  that  four  miles  drive, 
she  said  anything  to  him  about  the  prayer- 
meeting,  or  about  "joining  the  church,"  and 
"leading  in  prayer,"  and  taking  his  position 
as  a  responsible  and  prominent  member  ?  " 

The  Church !  She  forgot  its  existence. 
What  had  the  Church  in  common  with  this  en 
trancing  star-lighted  night,  with  the  wierd 
strains  of  the  opera  still  sounding  in  their  ears  ? 

Just  now,  would  she  have  cared  to  hear  his 


276  The  Pocket  Measure. 

voice  in  prayer  ?  What  mattered  it  whether 
he  was  ever  an  officer  in  the  Church?  I  do  not 
wish  you  to  understand  that  any  of  these 
thoughts  presented  themselves  for  her  to  settle  ; 
they  were  simply  so  utterly  unimportant  that 
she  forgot  them  all. 

"  Jennie,"  her  companion  said,  looking  down 
on  her  as  she  curled  in  a  graceful  little  ball 
among  the  cushions,  "  Don't  you  wish  we  were 
a  million  miles  from  home,  and  it  was  going 
to  take  us  forever  to  get  there  ?  " 

Ah  me  !  As  they  count  distances,  who  un 
derstand  the  relative  importance  of  things, 
how  many  million  miles  were  those  two  from 
home  ?  God  grant  that  it  may  not  take  them 
forever  to  reach  there  !  This  was  a  speech  that 
Will  Coleman,  in  his  cooler  moments,  would 
think  silly ;  would  sneer  over.  It  is  a  pity  for 
a  man  to  make  remarks  to  a  Woman  that  even 
he  himself  will  have  to  sneer  over  when  he 
remembers  them  afterward.  But  Jennie  was 
in  no  mood  to  help  him. 

"  Yes,"  she  said,  with  a  delicious  sense  of 
dreaminess  to  her  voice  ;  "  I  wish  nothing  was 
anywhere." 


Measured  by  Daylight.  277 

What  did  that  mean  ?  Not  even  Jennie 
knew,  and  if  she  didn't  who  should? 

The  young  man  kept  looking  at  her;  he  hes 
itated  a  little,  he  struggled  dimly  with  his 
judgment  —  but  it  was  such  a  witching  night, 
and  she  was  so  pretty,  and  —  well,  he  was  in 
no  mood  to  struggle ;  why  should  he  ?  Why 
should  anybody  do  anything  save  exactly  what 
he  wants  to  do? 

"Jennie,"  he  said,  and  he  bent  his  head 
lower,  and  drew  her  wrapping  more  closely 
around  her,  and  herself  more  closely  to  him, 
"dear  Jennie," — Do  you  think  lam  going  to 
tell  you  what  was  said?  Even  over  such  a 
miserable  little  caricature  of  love  as  this, 
for  the  sake  of  the  high  and  holy  feeling 
which  it  imitates,  I  would  draw  the  veil  of 
silence. 

You  can  imagine  what  was  said,  the  impas 
sioned  words  that  were  spoken,  the  solemn 
promises  that  were  made.  What  a  solemn 
pity  it  is  that  neither  of  those  young  things  — 
for  so  far  as  regarded  their  knowledge  of  life 
and  its  responsibilities  and  solemnities  both 
were  young  —  what  a  pity  that  they  should 


278  The  Pocket  Measure. 

play  with  promises  so  sacred,  nor  realize  that 
the  eternal  God  looking  down  upon  them 
heard  their  vows  and  recorded  them  for  their 
eyes  to-  meet  again  after  this  living  is  over ! 

It  was  not  until  hours  afterward  that  Jennie, 
all  her  pretty  things  thrown  wildly  around 
Mrs.  Evans'  guest  chamber,  as  she  overturned 
a  pile  of  laces  to  find  a  stray  brush,  was  re 
minded  by  a  glimpse  of  her  Bible  that  she 
had  designed  this  evening's  conversation  in 
a  different  channel. 

"  I  declare,"  she  said  aloud,  pausing  in  her 
search,  "  I  never  said  a  single  word  to  Will 
about  joining  the  Church,  or  any  thing.  I 
forgot  every  breath  about  it !  Oh,  well,  how 
could  I  be  expected  to  know  what  strange 
things  he  would  have  to  say  to  me  ? "  And 
she  blushed  and  laughed  to  herself  in  the  light 
of  the  tardy  moon  that  was  just  flooding  the 
eastern  sky.  Then  the  soliloquy  went  on  : 
"  I  shall  have  opportunity  enough  hereafter 
to  say  what  I  choose,  and  he  will  be  bound 
to  heed  what  I  say,  besides.  I  wonder  if  we 
shall  go  to  many  operas  together?  Will  said 
the  music  was  well  enough,  but  —  Oh,  dear, 


Measured  by  Daylight.  279 

what  nonsense  he  talked  to-night !     I   wonder 
if  he  meant  half  of  it  ? " 

There  was  a  happy  light  in  her  eyes.  She 
fully  believed  just  then  that  he  meant  much 
more  than  half  of  it.  But  it  was  thus  that 
she  dismissed  the  subject  of  the  Church  and 
"Will's  proposed  prominent  part  in  it.  No,  I 
mistake.  It  was  not  dismissed  yet ;  her 
thoughts  reverted  to  it  the  moment  she  knelt 
to  pray.  If  ever  Jennie  West  was  to  pray 
for  her  friend  you  would  think  it  might  be 
on  the  night  when  she  had  promised  to  be 
his  forever.  But  she  found,  I  cannot  say  to 
her  dismay,  that  it  was  even  harder  than  usual 
to  hold  her  thoughts.  They  would  flutter 
around  that  eventful  evening  and  live  over 
again  its  scenes.  If  her  thoughts,  while  she 
knelt  there  in  the  attitude  of  prayer,  could 
have  been  photographed  before  her,  I  fancy 
they  might  have  startled  her  a  little.  They 
ran  somewhat  after  this  manner :  " '  Our  Father 
who  art  in  heaven '  —  I  don't  really  know 
whether  I  care  to  have  Will  join  the  church 
after  all ;  people  can  be  good  without  that ; 
he  is  real  good  I'm  sure ;  if  I  ever  do  half  as 


280  The  Pocket  Measure. 

well  as  he  has  done  I  shall  be  content  — '  hal 
lowed  be  thy  name.'  Some  people  have  such 
over-strained  ideas  about  a  public  profession : 
Gallic  would  think  he  ought  never  to  go  inside 
of  an  opera  after  that.  I  wonder  what  Callie 
will  say  to  the  news  I  have  to  give  her,  as  if 
there  could  be  any  harm  in  operas !  I'm  sure 
the  music  was  heavenly,  and  the  whole  scene, 
the  lights  and  flowers,  and  the  colors  and 
everything,  was  unlike  earth  enough  to  make 
one  think  of  heaven.  '  Thy  kingdom  come, 
thy  will  be  done  in  earth  as  it  is  in  heaven.' 
Will  is  such  a  perfect  gentleman  ;  it  is  a  pleas 
ure  to  have  him  even  pick  up  one's  handker 
chief,  he  does  it  so  gracefully.  I  wish  Callie 
and  her  husband  hadn't  so  many  notions.  I 
fairly  dread  to  tell  her  about  it  ;  she  will 
have  a  lecture  for  us  both.  I  don't  want  to 
be  as  good  as  Callie  is,  now  that's  a  fact ;  she 
is  too  good  for  this  earth  ;  she  ought  to  wait 
until  she  gets  to  heaven.  '  Give  us  this  day 
our  daily  bread,  and  forgive  us  our  debts  as 
we  forgive  our  debtors.'  If  he  only  had  money 
he  would  be  just  perfect.  What  a  shame  it 
is  that  his  old  aunt  didn't  leave  her  property 


Measured  by  Daylight.  281 

to  him.  I  hate  the  sight  of  that  prinking, 
red-haired  neice  that  got  it  all ;  she  thought 
she  would  get  Will  by  the  means ;  I'll  show 
her  that  she  missed  her  calculation  in  that 
respect.  '  Lead  us  not  into  temptation,  but 
deliver  us  from  evil.'  Will  shall  take  me  to 
the  theatre  occasionally,  anyhow ;  I've  never 
been  to  the  plays  that  I  want  most  to  hear. 
4  For  thine  is  the  kingdom.' " 

Do  you  imagine  she  realized  the  two  trains 
of  thought  which  she  was  carrying  on  ?  I 
don't  think  she  did ;  the  form  of  the  prayer 
was  so  familiar  to  her  that  she  did  not  need 
to  hold  her  thoughts  to  the  words,  and  she 
was  so  used  to  letting  them  flutter  off  in  that 
wild  fashion  on  whatever  chanced  to  occur 
next,  that  she  did  not  feel  the  startling  in 
congruity.  At  the  close  of  the  formula  she 
did  draw  her  thoughts  away  long  enough  to 
put  up  one  sincere,  if  selfish,  petition  :  "  Oh, 
Lord,  take  care  of  my  dear  Will.  I  wonder 
if  lie  has  got  home  yet?"  This  last  sentence 
not  included  in  the  prayer,  but  insisting  on 
presenting  itself  in  the  same  breath  to  be 
thought  about.  As  for  Will  Coleman,  he 


282  The  Pocket  Measure. 

dismissed  his  carriage  at  the  corner,  feeling 
the  need  of  a  walk  in  the  cool,  quiet  air  to 
calm  his  blood  after  all  the  excitements  of  the 
evening.  What  he  thought  he  kept  entirely 
to  himself,  not  even  expressing  it  by  a  whistle. 
He  let  himself  into  his  boarding-house  in  a 
very  quiet  fashion,  quietly  made  his  way  up 
stairs,  lighted  his  lamp,  and  saw  first  that 
Bible  lying  open  exactly  as  he  had  left  it  sev 
eral  days  before  ;  lying  on  his  book-shelf  where 
he  had  lain  it ;  proof  positive  of  the  amount 
of  daily  care  his  room  received  and  of  the 
amount  of  Bible  reading  that  he  had  since 
done.  Pie  seized  it  now,  closed  it  roughly, 
without  a  glance  at  the  fly-leaf,  and  tossed  it  to 
the  topmost  shelf  without  a  word. 

The  next  morning  there  was  no  moon-light, 
no  star-light,  no  music,  only  for  the  young  man 
a  sense  of  exhaustion  following  the  late  hours 
and  intense  excitement  of  the  night  before,  and 
the  dull  headache  which  always  followed  a 
glass  of  wine. 

"  Heigh  ho  !  "  he  said  with  a  weary  yawn, 
"I've  got  to  get  through  another  day  at  that 
confounded  store,  selling  potatoes  and  onions 


Measured  by  Daylight.  283 

and  cabbage  and  cheese !  I  wish  the  world 
was  made  of  rose-leaves  and  we  dined  off  nectar 
and  ambrosia.  Eight  hundred  dollars  a  year, 
and  house  rent  and  cabbage  and  what  not,  to 
say  nothing  of  opera  tickets  and  carriage  hire 
and  kid  gloves  —  six  buttons  on  them,  too,  I 
counted  last  night !  I  wonder  that  didn't 
steady  my  nerves.  What  a  confounded  sim 
pleton  I  was  !  The  idea  of  my  acting  like  a 
youth  with  ten  thousand  a  year  I  Still,  I  don't 
know  how  a  fellow  was  going  to  help  it.  The 
music  and  the  witchery  generally  got  hold  of 
me,  and  she  is  as  pretty  as  a  doll.  If  it  weren't 
for  money  it  would  be  all  right.  Some  people 
succeed  in  making  money  in  this  world,  but 
they  don't  do  it  selling  onions  and  the  like  for 
other  folks  to  pocket  the  profits.  I  believe  I 
must  cast  about  for  a  better  way." 

And  Jennie  ?  Well,  it  was  morning  with 
her,  and  the  flowers  she  wore  the  night  before 
had  withered ;  and  the  witching  curls  of  her 
hair  were  one  irritable  snarl.  Also,  she  heard 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Evans  in  their  room  talking  — 
talking  too  loud,  Dane  was,  when  the  guest- 
chamber  had  an  occupant. 


284  The  Pocket  Measure. 

"  The  fact  is  Eva  " —  this  was  what  she  heard 
him  say — "the  fact  is  that  we  must  retrench 
in  some  way,  or  I  must  just  admit  that  I  am 
a  dishonest  man  and  can  not  pay  my  bills.  I 
have  no  sort  of  idea  how  I  am  to  meet  those 
already  made,  and  they  grow  larger  every  day 
of  our  lives.  There  is  mismanagement  some 
where." 

"  Pshaw  !  "  said  the  lady  in  the  guest-cham 
ber,  as  she  jerked  out  a  whole  friz  which  had 
tied  itself  up  into  a  million  cross  little  knots. 
"  If  Will  ever  ventures  to  speak  to  me  in  any 
such  fashion  as  that  he'll  be  sorry,  I  can  as 
sure  him !  Bills  and  retrenchment  and  embar 
rassment!  I  wonder  if  I  am  doomed  to  hear 
that  story  all  my  life !  If  I  thought  I  was  I'd 
want  to  go  to  the  next  opera  and  have  a  good 
time,  and  drown  myself  in  the  river  on  the 
way  home,  Will  and  I." 

Isn't  it  a  sad  beginning  to  a  union  of  care 
and  trial  and  responsibility  and  pain,  when  the 
first  morning  afterward  looks  just  as  it  did  to 
those  two?  And  yet  they  thought,  poor 
things,  that  they  loved  each  other! 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

AN  OPEN  DOOE. 

must  have  somebody  who  understands 
business  better  than  we  do,  to  sort  of 
manage  us,  and  things  generally." 
This  had  been  Addie  Stowell's  half-laughing, 
half-serious  announcement,  on  the  day  when  — 
the  Stowell  parlor  having  been  secured,  and 
plans  in  general  carefully  matured  —  the  now 
thoroughly  interested  girls  had  met  to  arrange 
plans  in  detail.  Addie?s  suggestion  met  with 
instant  approval,  arid  at  least  a  dozen  voices 
declared  that  Mrs.  SpafTord  was  just  the  one 
to  take  care  of  their  heads  and  their  money. 
That  lady  who  had  foreseen  the  necessity  for 
some  such  arrangement,  and  believed,  moreover, 
285 


286  The  Pocket  Measure. 

that  it  was  important  to  select  a  woman,  rather 
than,  a  girl,  for  general  manager,  resolved  to 
accept  the  appointment  without  further  discus 
sion. 

"  Very  well :  I  will  engage  to  be  your  con 
fidential  clerk,  and  manage  the  finances  of  the 
firm  to  the  best  of  my  ability  until  such  time 
as  we  shall  agree  to  have  a  younger  and  more 
sprightly  assistant.  I  make  one  proviso,  to  the 
effect  that  you  will  empower  me  to  secure  a 
helper  where  I  choose ;  one  who  shall,  under 
my  direction,  do  whatever  work  which  would 
naturally  be  in  my  province  that  I  choose  to 
give  her ;  this  will  not  relieve  me  from  respon 
sibility,  for  I  will  engage  to  be  responsible  for 
the  doings  of  my  chosen  helper." 

This  was  agreed  upon,  and  the  "  managing 
clerk "  took  the  chair.  From  this  moment  the 
process  of  organizing  the  somewhat  ponderous 
firm,  and  getting  the  machinery  in  running 
order,  went  on  rapidly  and  satisfactorily.  The 
truth  is,  the  "  managing  clerk "  had  not  lain 
awake  for  several  nights  without  results.  She 
knew  exactly  what  she  wanted  her  firm  to  do, 
and  the  way  to  set  them  at  it. 


An  Open  Door.  287 

It  is  no  part  of  my  intention  to  take  you 
through  the  details  of  this  unique  business. 
You  can  imagine  that  the  task  was  not  an 
easy  one,  and  that  there  were  constant  pitfalls 
to  avoid ;  it  is  rather  with  an  experience  which 
—  as  we  see  events  —  grew  out  of  this  plan 
that  I  have  to  do.  Mrs.  Spafford,  in  suggesting 
the  importance  of  a  sub-clerk  for  herself,  had 
a  plan  in  mind.  Her  heart  was  very  much  set 
on  getting  nearer  to  her  fair,  and,  yet  so  often, 
sad-faced  neighbor,  Mrs.  Dane  Evans ;  getting 
near  enough  to  help  her :  for  that  she  was 
sorely  in  need  of  help  grew  daily  more  evident. 
The  lines  on  her  face  were  deepening,  and  there 
was  a  pitiful  pallor  creeping  over  it,  that  told 
of  a  weary  heart  struggling  with  some  burden 
daily  growing  too  heavy  for  her  to  lift.  Could 
she  be  interested  in  this  enterprise  of  the  young 
ladies?  Could  she  be  prevailed  upon  to  give 
them  help,  by  becoming  associated  with  their 
leader  —  not  to  assume  more  responsibility,  but 
to  take  certain  duties  easily  performed,  and  per 
haps  much  to  her  taste  upon  herself?  And 
then,  could  it  be  hoped  that,  in  the  many  con 
ferences  which  this  partnership  of  responsi- 


288  The  Pocket  Measure. 

bility  would  involve,  they  would  get  nearer  to 
each  other ;  so  near  that,  in  time,  she  would  ac 
cept  Mrs.  Spafford  as  a  tried  friend,  and  let  her 
help,  if  she  could,  in  the  spot  where  she  needed 
special  help  ?  And  then  could  not  this  ser 
vant  of  her  Master  hope  to  lead  that  tired 
heart  closer  to  the  great  burden  Bearer?  Such 
in  brief  was  the  plan  toward  which  Mrs.  Spaf 
ford  was  quietly  working.  Not  seeing  her  way 
clear,  but  seeing  a  little  entering  place,  perhaps, 
she  resolved  to  push  in  that  direction,  while 
she  watched  for  more  light. 

It  was  over  this  entire  matter  that  she  stud 
ied,  and  frequently  prayed,  while  she  went 
about  her  home  one  afternoon.  Not  a  word  had 
been  said  to  Mrs.  Evans  as  yet ;  the  managing 
clerk  had  been  watching  her  opportunity.  So 
much  depended  on  one's  first  impressions  of 
things.  Having  prayed  much  over  the  whole 
scheme,  she  found  herself  looking  often  from 
the  window,  watching  the  clouds,  for  the  day 
was  dull  and  rainy. 

"I  don't  know  why  it  should  seem  so  import 
ant  to  go  over  there  on  this  day  of  all  others," 
she  said  to  herself;  "it  is  raining,  and  is 


An  Open  Door.  289 

not  a  day  when  one  would  be  likely  to  expect 
a  call  unless  the  business  were  urgent;  mine 
certainly  can  wait  several  days  if  necessary, 
and  yet  I  feel  impelled  to  go  this  afternoon." 
She  made  all  necessary  arrangements  for  the 
evening  meal,  which  she  and  Warren  looked 
forward  always  to  enjoying  together,  and  settled 
herself  at  the  window  with  her  sewing.  There 
was  no  use  in  thinking  about  going  out  while 
the  rain  came  down  so  steadily,  and  the  wind 
was  blowing  too  ;  a  thoroughly  disagreeable  day. 
It  was  easy  to  settle  oneself  outwardly,  yet  she 
found  that  she  had  not  gotten  away  from  the 
impression  that  now  was  the  time.  She  sewed 
steadily  for  a  few  minutes,  then  rolled  up  her 
work  with  a  resolute  air.  "  I  will  go  now"  she 
said,  decidedly.  "  Why  shouldn't  I  ?  1  am  not 
afraid  of  the  rain  and  she  may  be  very  lonely. 
I  can  not  get  away  from  the  feeling  that  this 
may  be  my  opportunity." 

Resolved  upon  being  as  informal  as  possible, 
ind  .have  her  appearance  fit  the  day,  she 
donned  waterproof  and  rubbers,  and,  umbrella 
in  hand,  sallied  forth,  knocking  at  the  little 
side  door  of  the  small  house,  instead  of  ring- 


290  The  Pocket  Measure. 

ing  the  front-door  bell.  There  was  no  response 
to  her  knock.  She  stood  dismayed ;  so  strong 
had  been  the  impression  that  she  was  to  come 
on  just  that  afternoon,  that  to  find  the  house 
apparently  deserted  was  a  keen  disappointment. 
What,  then,  had  the  pressure  meant  which 
had  seemed  to  her  so  like  a  voice  directing 
her  steps? 

"  The  house  doesn't  look  closed,"  she  said, 
still  arguing  with  herself ;  "the  curtains  would 
be  dropped  if  she  had  gone  for  the  day.  I 
wonder  if  I  may  venture  to  the  kitchen-door? 
Perhaps  they  cannot  hear  a  knock  at  this 
point."  So  she  stepped  around  the  neat  little 
box  of  a  house  to  the  kitchen-door.  No,  it  was 
ajar ;  somebody  was  at  home ;  she  knocked 
boldly.  No  response  ;  and  the  wind  was  whirl 
ing  her  umbrella  about  in  an  insane  fashion, 
and  the  eaves  were  dripping  on  her  head. 
It  was  a  very  disagreeable  spot  in  which  to 
wait,  and  yet,  somebody  in  this  little  house 
was  at  home,  and  the  resolute  caller  was  un 
willing  to  beat  a  retreat.  "  I'll  step  in,"  she 
said,  boldly;  "I  am  getting  all  wet  standing 
here,  and  I  can  explain  the  intrusion.  A 


An  Open  Door.  ~  291 

moment  more  and  she  was  in  the  tiny  kitchen. 
It  was  a  scene  of  dreary  desolation.  The  fire 
in  the  cooking-stove  was  out ;  not  decorously 
out  as  in  many  a  thrifty  household  at  that 
hour  of  the  day,  but  there  was  every  indi 
cation  that  it  had  gone  out  ruthlessly,  and 
with  malice  aforethought;  the  hearth  was  ash- 
bestrewn,  a  dish-pan  half  filled  with  greasy 
water  occupied  the  top,  while  certain  pots, 
kettles,  and  various  other  cooking  utensils 
stood  around  in  dismay ;  the  kitchen-table, 
too,  was  a  scene  from  which  the  tidy  house 
keeper  turned  quickly,  appalled  at  herself  for 
venturing  in,  and  almost  feeling  as  though  Mrs. 
Evans  could  never  forgive  her  for  looking  on 
the  desolations  of  that  kitchen.  Not  a  person 
was  to  be  seen,  and  the  uninvited  guest  had 
just  resolved  to  slip  quietly  away,  and  ring, 
perhaps,  at  the  front  door,  if  she  could  not 
bring  herself  to  give  up  the  visit,  when  she 
heard  that  which  startled  her  into  a  change 
of  plans.  The  unmistakable  sound  of  bitter 
weeping  came  to  her  from  the  only  half-closed 
door  of  the  adjoining  room ;  not  only  weeping, 
but  lamentation ;  a  voice  as  of  one  in  almost 


292  The  Pocket  Measure. 

mortal  agony  either  of  body  or  mind.  All 
manner  of  conjectures  rushed  through  Mrs. 
Spafford's  mind.  Mrs.  Evans  might  be  ill, 
might  be  in  sudden  and  terrible  affliction, 
and  was  certainly  alone.  Could  she  hesi- 
ate  any  longer  011  the  ground  of  intrusion  ? 
Certain  it  was  that  she  could  no  more  go 
home  with  the  wail  of  that  voice  in  her 
ears,  than  she  could  leave  any  other  fellow- 
creature  in  distress  and  do  nothing  to 
help.  Pausing  only  to  set  her  dripping  um 
brella  in  a  safe  place,  and  close  the  kitchen- 
door,  she  stepped  quickly  across  the  room, 
pushed  wide  the  intervening  door,  and  stood 
face  to  face  with  Mrs.  Evans,  who  sprang 
suddenly  to  her  feet,  a  look  of  utter  astonish 
ment,  by  no  means  unmingled  with  indignation, 
struggling  with  the  tears  on  her  face. 

"Mrs.  Spafford!" 

It  was  every  word  she  said,  but  a  whole 
volume  of  wounded  pride  and  resentment  over 
this  unwarrantable  intrusion  were  pent  up  in 
the  voice. 

Mrs.  Spafford  stepped  quickly  to  her  side, 
and  laid  a  gentle  hand  on  her  arm : 


An  Open  Door.  293 

"  My  dear  friend,  I  seem  to  you  to  have  been 
guilty  of  a  great  rudeness,  but,  indeed,  I  mean 
no  intrusion.  I  came  to  your  kitchen-door  on 
an  errand,  and,  finding  it  ajar  and  no  one  quite 
ready  to  answer  my  knock,  I  took  the  liberty 
of  stepping  in  a  moment  out  of  the  storm,  and 
heard  your  voice  as  if  in  pain  or  distress ;  I 
feared  you  were  alone  and  needed  help,  and  I 
came  to  offer  it.  I  will  go  away  at  once,  only 
believe  me,  I  had  only  a  heart  full  of  love,  and 
a  longing  desire  to  help  you." 

Before  this  sentence  was  completed,  Mrs. 
Evans  had  sunk  again  in  a  little  heap  on  the 
couch  from  which  she  had  risen,  and  with  the 
pitiful  cry :  "  God  knows  I  need  help,  if  any 
one  on  earth  does,"  burst  into  a  perfect  passion 
of  weeping. 

Her  visitor  bent  over  her  a  distressed,  doubt 
ful  face ;  ought  she  to  go  away  from  one  in 
such  bitter  mental  agony  as  this?  Yet  what 
could  she  say  to  help  or  comfort  her  that  would 
not  seem  like  an  attempt  to  pry  into  the  secrets 
of  another  ? 

"  Dear  friend,"  she  said  —  and  her  voice  was 
very  tender  —  "  I  think  you  know  where  to  look 


294  The  Pocket  Measure, 

for  help,  no  matter  what  your  trial  or  burden  ; 
whether  it  be  great  or  very  small,  He  is 
equally  ready  to  have  it  brought  to  him  and 
left  there.  Why  don't  you  ask  his  help?  You 
are  one  of  his  own." 

"I  am  not,  I  am  not!"  burst  with  passion 
ate  tears  from  the  poor  burdened  heart.  "  I 
am  nothing  at  all  but  a  miserable  woman  who 
has  made  a  failure  of  everything  that  I  ever 
undertook.  I  ought  never  to  have  taken  the 
responsibilities  of  a  wife  and  a  housekeeper 
upon  me.  I  am  a  failure  in  every  sense  of 
the  word!  I  ought  to  die  and  go  away  out 
of  the  world  and  give  others  a  chance  to 
live." 

What  desperate  talking  was  this,  from  a 
woman  who  had  been  a  beautiful  and  treasured 
bride  but  a  short  time  before  !  What  could  be 
said  to  her?  Was  not  this  a  matter  with 
which  a  stranger  ought  not  to  intermeddle  ? 
What  if  it  were  only  a  childish  outburst  of 
passion  over  some  misunderstanding  between 
her  husband  and  herself  ?  An  outburst,  .  the 
memory  of  which,  and  of  the  fact  that  there 
was  a  human  eye-witness,  would  humiliate 


An  Open  Door.  295 

her  to  the  very  dust,  after  it  was  over? 
Again  and  again,  even  in  those  few  moments, 
did  Mrs.  Spafford  chide  herself  for  having 
entered  that  kitchen-door.  Yet  she  could  not 
leave  her  now  and  thus.  Besides,  what  if 
this  were  a  genuine  sorrow,  a  pain  which 
did  not  go  away  after  the  first  outburst? 
She  remembered  the  drawn  look  on  the  young 
wife's  face,  and  greatly  feared  that  the  burden, 
whatever  it  was,  stayed  with  her.  Also,  what 
did  that  voice  mean  which  persistently  urged 
her  toward  coming  over  here  in  the  rain  of 
this  very  afternoon  ?  What  was  there  that  she 
ought  to  say  to  this  child-woman?  All  these 
thoughts  passed  swiftly,  then  she  spoke  again, 
still  in  that  low,  quieting  voice : 

"  Dear  friend,  whatever  you  are,  no  matter 
what  mistakes  you  may  have  made,  no  matter 
how  unfit  you  feel,  you  are  dear  to  Christ  at 
this  moment:  he  loves  you  and  waits  for  you. 
He  has  infinite  power,  and  infinite  wisdom, 
and  infinite  forgiveness.  There  is  nothing  that 
he  can  not  forgive,  and  nothing  that  he  can 
not  help  you  to  do  if  it  is  right  that  you 
should  do  it.  I  speak  with  authority,  for  I 


296  The  Pocket  Measure. 

have  tried  him ;  yes,  with  better  "authority 
than  that,  for  he  has  said  it :  '  He  shall  de 
liver  thee  in  six  troubles,  yea  in  seven  there 
shall  no  evil  touch  thee.'  It  is  his  own  voice 
speaking.  Go  to  him  for  help,  and  as  sure 
as  the  sun  shines  above  these  clouds  you  will 
get  just  what  you  need.  Never  mind  whether 
you  think  you  are  one  of  his  children  or  not ; 
claim  the  place  of  a  child  because  you  need 
to  be,  and  wish  to  be,  and  mean  to  be  one 
from  this  moment." 

She  spoke  rapidly,  with  a  sort  of  eager 
positiveness,  and  yet  calmness.  It  had  the 
effect  of  quieting  the  bitter  sobs,  but  she 
could  not  tell  how  much  heed  had  been  given 
to  the  direction. 

She  waited  in  silence  a  moment,  then  spoke 
again : 

"Is  there  any  way  in  which  I  could  help 
you,  or  shall  I  go  away  and  come  at  another 
time?" 

She  received  no  answer  at  all.  In  great 
doubt  as  to  what  to  do  next,  she  stood  be 
fore  the  drooping  figure  with  its  face  buried 
in  its  hands.  Just  as  she  had  resolved  to 


An  Open  Door.  297 

slip  quietly  out  and  trust  to  a  note  in  which 
she  would  pour  oat  her  heart  in  sympathy, 
Mrs.  Evans  raised  herself  to  a  sitting  posture, 
brushed  back  the  disordered  hair  from  her 
swollen  eyes,  and  said,  with  an  effort  at  dig 
nity: 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  madam ;  I  have  been 
saying  some  wild  and  foolish  words  to  you, 
I  am  afraid  ;  you  must  not  think  anything  of 
them ;  I  do  not  mean  what  I  said,  whatever 
it  was.  It  isn't  often  I  give  way  to  my 
feelings  in  this  manner ;  biit,  indeed,  I  am  so 
miserable  and  so  helpless." 

The  voice,  which  had  been  growing  more 
tremulous  with  each  word,  suddenly  broke 
into  another  burst  of  tears,  and  the  poor  lady 
buried  her  face  in  her  hands  again. 

Mrs.  Spafford's  resolution  was  taken  ;  at 
least  she  would  not  leave  a  soul  in  distress ; 
afterward  she  might  regret  the  intrusion,  but 
she  had  intruded,  that  part  could  not  now  be 
helped,  she  would  do  what  she  could  to  guide 
this  struggling  heart  into  the  light.  She  sat 
down  beside  Mrs.  Evans  and  laid  a  tender, 
caressing  hand  on  hers ;  after  all,  that  seemed 


298  The  Pocket  Measure. 

the  utmost  limit  of  her  power.  Bat  Mrs. 
Evaus  was  trying  hard  to  control  herself.  A 
moment  more  and  she  sat  erect  again. 

"  I  hope  you  will  forgive  me,"  she  said  hum 
bly  ;  "  I  am  very  weak  and  foolish.  I  really 
am  in  great  trouble,  Mrs.  Spafford;  and  yet 
it  is  nothing  that  I  can  explain ;  my  life  seems 
such  a  failure  to  me.  I  cannot  right  it,  because 
I  do  not  know  how  to  begin  —  which  way  to 
turn.  I  have  meant  right.  I  meant  to  make 
the  sweetest,  happiest  home  for  my  husband 
that  a  man  ever  had  but —  it  is  not  my  fault, 
nor  Dane's.  Mrs.  Spafford,  I  may  as  well  tell 
you,  it  is  the  miserable  money.  We  cannot 
live  on  our  salary ;  we  are  in  debt,  and  going 
deeper  every  day  ;  and  we  see  no  way  out ; 
and  my  husband  blames  me  ;  of  course  he  does  ; 
why  should  he  not  ?  a  wife  ought  to  know  how 
to  spend  the  money  that  her  husband  earns  in 
such  a  way  as  to  bring  him  comfort  and  not 
misery  ;  and  I  have  not  done  it,  and  cannot 
do  it ;  I  have  tried  and  tried,  and  made  a  mis 
erable  failure.  It  is  my  fault,  you  see,  after 
all  To-day,  the  whole  dreadful  sense  of  fail 
ure  broke  over  me,  and  I  felt  that  I  could  not 


An  Open  Door.  299 

bear  it  any  longer  ;  the  troubles  of  this  awful 
day  have  just  broken  down  the  little  strength 
and  pride  that  I  had,  and  I  gave  way  utterly. 
There  now  !  I  have  told  you  the  whole 
wretched  story,  without  intending  to ;  I  have 
humiliated  myself  to  the  lowest  depths,  and 
dragged  my  husband  down  with  me ;  "  and  the 
hot  passionate  tears  rolled  down  her  cheeks. 

Mrs.  Spafford  put  a  firm  arm  around  the 
shrinking,  trembling  form  of  the  excited 
woman,  and  spoke  in  quiet  tones : 

"  My  dear  friend,  let  me  talk  to  you  a  mo 
ment  quietly  and  reasonably.  You  have  done 
no  very  dreadful  thing  in  saying  to  me,  as  a 
friend,  that  you  find  it  hard  to  bring  your 
expenditures  within  your  income.  That  is  not 
so  strange  a  thing  that  it  should  seem  to  you  a 
startling,  or  even  a  humiliating  matter.  Neither 
is  it  a  strange  thing  that  you  have  failed.  I 
am  older  than  you,  I  think  —  at  least  in  expe 
rience  I  am  many  years  older  —  and  I  know  just 
how  hard  a  matter  it  is  to  get  the  whole  be 
wildering  machinery  of  household  life  into  run 
ning  order.  I  am  not  surprised  that  you  should 
have  grown  -  utterly  discouraged,  and  believed 


300  The  Pocket  Measure. 

yourself  to  be  making  a  humiliating  failure. 
What  you  need  is  a  determination  not  to  give 
way  to  any  such  feeling.  A  resolution  to  meet 
and  conquer  this  problem,  and  show  your  hus 
band  that  you  are  a  general  —  equal  to  the 
emergency.  It  can  be  done.  And  dear  friend,  I 
want  to  repeat  to  you  what  I  said  at  the  outset  : 
that  no  perplexity  is  too  commonplace  to  take 
to  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  I  know  people  who 
suppose  it  would  be  almost  irreverent  to  take 
their  domestic  bewilderments  to  Christ.  I  can 
not  think  what  kind  of  a  friend  they  imagine 
him  to  be,  if  they  are  afraid  to  go  to  him  with 
everything.  I  should  never  have  dared  to 
assume  the  cares  and  responsibilities  of  our 
home  if  I  had  not  known  that  I  could  go  to 
Christ  for  direction  as  to  how  to  wisely  spend 
the  money  he  put  into  my  hands,  and  how  to 
order  all  my  affairs  so  that  there  would  be  no 
friction." 

Mrs.  Evans  had  dried  her  tears,  and  was 
looking  with  a  troubled,  and  yet  puzzled  face 
at  her  guest. 

"That  only  makes  me  feel,"  she  said,  sud 
denly  interrupting  her,  "just  as  a  number  of 


An  Open  Door.  301 

things  }'ou  have  said,  at  other  times,  have  made 
me  feel  that  your  religion  and  mine  were  so 
utterly  different,  that  they  could  not  loth  of 
them  be  religion ;  and  lately  I  have  come  to 
feel  that,  among  the  things  that  are  utter  fail 
ures  in  my  life,  my  Christian  experience  stands 
first.  I  never  had  any  Christian  experience. 
I  thought  I  loved  Christ  and  wanted  to  do 
right,  and  I  said  so  when  I  united  with  the 
Church.  But  I  tell  you  truly,  Mrs.  Spufford, 
I  have  not  known  anything  about  him  ;  I  have 
done  nothing  to  please  him,  and  I  shouldn't 
know  how  to  commence.  And  besides  "  —  she 
looked  down,  now,  and  a  deep  flush  spread  over 
her  heretofore  pale  face  —  "I  will  tell  the 
truth,"  she  said,  after  a  moment  of  hesitation  : 
"  I  suppose  it  is  very  wicked  —  indeed,  I  know 
I  am  very  wicked- — but  I  will  speak  the  truth 
to-day,  if  I  never  do  it  again.  If  I  could  please 
my  husband  —  make  his  home  what  it  should 
be  —  I  shouldn't  care  whether  I  pleased  any 
body  else  or  not  —  even  Christ  I  " 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

SERVING  CHRIST  IN  THE  KITCHEN. 

,-F  Mrs.  Spafford  was  shocked  by  this 
last  sentence,  she  had  resolved  not  to 
show  it  either  by  voice  or  manner. 
It  became  apparent  to  her  that  Mrs.  Evans 
was  under  too  strong  excitement  to  weigh  her 
words  carefully,  or  to  have  a  realizing  sense  of 
what  they  conveyed ;  and  while  this  loyal 
servant  of  Christ  felt  with  a  thrill  of  pain  that 
it  might  be,  and  doubtless  was,  too  true  —  that 
this  woman  was  putting  the  earthly  love  before 
the  heavenly  —  still,  the  present  did  not  seem 
the  fitting  time  to  help  her  realize  the  sin  and 
folly  of  this.  She  spoke  in  calm,  reassuring 

tones : 

302 


Serving  Christ  in  the  Kitchen.  303 

"  Christ  smiles  on  all  unselfish  human  love, 
you  know,  and  on  none  more  surely  than  that 
sanctioned  by  marriage  vows ;  and  true  women 
love  and  honor  you  for  your  desire  to  be  all 
that  a  wife  can ;  not  ignoring,  as  too  many 
do,  the  little  things  of  life.  Now,  dear  Mrs. 
Evans,  do  you  mind  putting  somewhat  into 
detail  the  difficulties  that  just  now  present 
themselves?  Possibly  they  are  such  as  my 
longer  experience  can  help  you  surmount.  I 
do  not,  of  course,  mean  a  detail  that  will  be 
unpleasant  to  you,  but  —  in  short,  let  us  lay 
aside  formality  entirely  ;  I  am  a  neighbor,  and 
I  am  a  friend ;  let  me  help  you.'  What  is  the 
special  burden  to-day?  You  see  I  am  well 
aware  that  each  day  in  a  housekeeper's  life  has 
its  special  burden." 

At  the  sound  of  her  visitor's  quiet  voice  and 
matter-of-fact  sentence,  Mrs.  Evans,  who  was 
not  by  nature  a  lover  of  scenes,  and  who  had 
been  really  struggling  to  regain  composure,  felt 
her  overwrought  nerves  growing  calmer,  and 
presently  said  —  a  vivid  blush  overspreading 
her  face: 

"  I  can  hardly  see  how  you  can  help  despis- 


304  The  Pocket  Measure. 

ing  me ;  I  almost  depise  myself.  The  simple 
truth  is  so  very  humiliating ;  I  have  been  acting 
like  a  spoiled  child  instead  of  a  woman ;  noth 
ing  very  dreadful;  indeed,  nothing  dreadful 
in  any  sense  has  happened ;  it  is  just  a  culmi 
nation  of  small  difficulties;  they  have  been 
gathering  and  gathering  about  me  for  weeks, 
and  this  miserable  afternoon  I  broke  down 
under  them." 

Her  lip  was  quivering,  and  she  was  on  the 
very  verge  of  breaking  down  again. 

"  It  is  the  old  story  of  the  last  straw  that 
disabled  the  poor  camel,"  said  Mrs.  Spafford, 
good  humoredly,  without  a  trace  of  sentiment 
in  her  voice,  and  yet,  someway,  the  voice  con 
veyed  sympathy.  "I  know  all  about  that.  I 
have  had  just  such  days ;  sometimes  the  last 
straw  is  an  exceedingly  hateful,  ill-shaped  one. 
In  what  form  did  it  appear  to  you?" 

A  little  gleam  of  a  smile  quivered  for  a  mo 
ment  on  Mrs.  Evans'  face. 

"  It  is  ill-shaped,  certainly,"  she  said,  quickly ; 
"  and  I  think  she  has  been  more  hateful  during 
the  last  three  or  four  days  than  I  ever  thought 
a  human  being  could  be.  Mrs.  Spafford,  my 


Serving  Christ  in  the  Kitchen*  o05 

Betty  went  away  this  morning;  just  before 
lunch  time.  She  has  only  been  with  me  four 
weeks,  and  has  been  by  far  the  worst  one  of 
them  all.  I  have  had  nine  !  This  morning  she 
served  the  most  insufferable  breakfast !  Burnt 
toast,  and  dreadful  coffee ;  I  don't  know  what 
she  could  have  done  to  it,  nor  to  the  chop  for 
that  matter,  I  know  we  couldn't  eat  it:  even 
the  potatoes  were  dreadful;  baked  potatoes! 
I  didn't  think  they  could  be  spoiled,  but  these 
were  soft  and  wet  and  oh  —  miserable  !  Mr. 
Evans  went  to  his  business  without  so  much 
as  a  cup  of  coffee,  or  a  bit  of  bread  ;  and  when 
I  went  to  the  kitchen,  as  soon  after  as  I  dared, 
to  remonstrate  with  Betty  a  little,  and  to  see 
if  she  would  not  promise  to  try  to  do  better ; 
before  I  had  spoken  a  dozen  words  she  became 
fearfully  angry ;  used  dreadful  language,  de 
clared  she  was  overworked  and  underpaid  — 
she  was  what  they  call  a  cheap  girl,  Mrs. 
Spafford"  (this  last  spoken  with  a  burning 
blush) — "  I  thought  I  would  try  her,  and  see 
if  a  little  of  our  heavy  expense  could  not  be 
cut  down  in  that  way ;  but,  indeed,  I  paid  her 
what  she  said  she  had  been  getting,  and  you 


306  The  Pocket  Measure. 

know  for  two  of  us  she  hardly  could  be  over 
worked." 

Mrs.  Spafford  hardly  knew  whether  to  laugh 
or  cry  over  the  anxious  questioning  sound  in 
the  trembling  voice ;  its  owner  had  evidently 
been  terribly  shaken  by  the  formidable  Betty 
in  the  morning,  and  could  not  yet  speak  of 
her  with  composure. 

"  And  what  was  the  conclusion  of  Betty's 
wrath  ? "  she  asked,  resolved  not  to  commit 
herself  by  giving  an  opinion  either  way  at 
present. 

"  Oh,  she  went  away.  She  said  she  would ; 
declared  that  nothing  could  tempt  her  to  be 
abused  in  this  house  any  longer,  and  she 
would  warn  every  girl  against  me  ;  she  would 
leave  my  character  at  the  intelligence  office, 
and  I  would  find  myself  spotted,  whatever  that 
means.  I  was  perfectly  amazed !  I  had  not 
said  anything  to  call  forth  such  an  outburst, 
and  I  thought  she  was  excited  over  something 
else,  and  would  quiet  down  if  I  left  her  to  her* 
self  for  awhile,  so  I  went  away,  and  staid  up 
stairs  all  the  morning,  so  that  the  sight  of  me 
would  not  anger  her ;  but  when  I  discovered 


Serving  Christ  in  the  Kitchen.  307 

that  it  was  long  after  lunch  time,  I  came  down 
to  see  why  she  had  not  rung  for  me,  and  to 
make  some  arrangements  for  dinner  this  eve 
ning  and  she  was  gone !  And  oh,  Mrs.  Spaf- 
ford,  if  you  could  see  the  kitchen  she  left ! 
(Whereupon  Mrs.  Spafford  drew  a  little  breath 
of  relief  ;  then  the  poor  lady  had  been  too  much 
absorbed  in  her  grief  to  realize  that  her  guest 
had  seen  it !)  "  The  fire  was  entirely  out,  and 
the  breakfast  dishes  not  touched,  and  a  great 
many  dishes  that  must  have  been  used  yester 
day  and  left  unwashed  standing  around ;  ket 
tles,  you  know,  and  saucepans,  and  ugly,  greasy 
black  dishes,  with  things  sticking  to  their  sides  !  " 

Nothing  more  utterly  disgustful  than  the  look 
on  Mrs.  Evans'  face  can  be  imagined.  Her 
guest's  laugh  rang  out  merrily  at  last ;  she 
could  not  help  it.  But  her  friend's  trials  were 
too  real  to  admit  of  laughter. 

"  It  is  dreadful,"  she  said,  with  a  meek  face, 
"  to  be  so  foolish  and  so  dependent  upon  others, 
but  I  have  really  been  in  utter  despair  this 
afternoon.  Not  for  that  reason  simply,"  she 
hastened  to  explain,  while  the  shadow  instantly 
deepened  on  her  face,  "  but  as  you  say,  it  was 


308  The  Pocket  Measure. 

a  sort  of  last  straw ;  not  so  much  of  a  straw 
to  me,  either,  for  I  never  made  a  coal-fire  in 
my  life,  and  though  I  tried  hard  to  set  that 
one  going,  the  ugly  black  lumps  looked  fiercely 
at  me  and  stayed  as  black  as  before,  after  all 
the  waste  paper  in  the  house  had  been  used, 
and  a  great  many  matches.  Mr.  Evans  cer 
tainly  ought  to  expect  his  dinner  when  he  gets 
home,  since  he  went  without  his  breakfast ; 
but  what  he  can  possibly  find  to  eat  in  this 
house  I  cannot  see,  and  the  rain  was  so  steady 
it  prevented  my  going  out  to  find  another  girl. 
Indeed,  to  tell  you  the  truth,  I  had  a  horror  of 
trying  to  get  another ;  it  seemed  to  me  I 
would  rather  starve ;  and  so  the  whole  mis 
erable  sense  of  my  failure  in  every  way  as  a 
mistress,  or  as  a  worker,  rushed  over  me,  and 
in  addition  to  all  the  rest,  just  overwhelmed 
me.  Dear  Mrs.  Spafford,  I  don't  know  why 
I  am  telling  you  all  this  foolish,  unwomanly 
story,  wasting  your  time  and  pouring  into 
your  ear  a  tale  that  can  certainly  be  nothing 
but  weariness  to  you  !  It  is  not  like  me  thus 
to  parade  my  annoyances ;  it  is  not,  indeed ;  I 
ought  to  beg  your  pardon." 


Serving  Christ  in  the  Kitchen.  309 

She  had  sat  erect  during  this  last  sentence, 
dried  away  the  last  tear  from  her  hot  cheek, 
and  was  struggling  hard  to  put  on  the  sweet 
dignity  of  hostess,  which  wns  generally  so  be 
coming  to  her.  Meantime  her  guest  thought 
rapidly,  taking  a  surreptitious  glance  at  her 
watch.  Should  she  insist  upon  taking  this 
troubled  wife  home  to  tea  with  her,  sending 
little  Tim,  who  did  her  errands,  down  to  watch 
for  the  car  that  generally  brought  the  two 
husbands,  and  so  have  one  of  those  quiet  tea- 
parties  that  she  was  always  telling  Warren 
about?  Her  bread  was  fresh  and  excellent; 
she  had  made  a  treat  for  supper  in  the  shape 
of  a  soft  ginger  cake,  and  the  potatoes  which 
she  meant  to  warm,  by  the  addition  of  a  few 
bread  crumbs  and  an  egg,  could  be  made  into 
"  patties,"  and  do  duty  for  four.  Oh,  yes, 
the  way  was  plain  enough  (to  carry  out  this 
project),  but  was  it  the  best  way  ?  Swift 
thinking,  even  while  Mrs.  Evans  was  trying 
to  call  back  her  matronly  dignity,  then  she 
shook  her  head  —  no,  it  wouldn't  do  ;  the  sore- 
hearted  young  wife  was  not  in  a  tea-party 
mood,  and  it  was  just  possible  that  there  had 


310  The  Pocket  Measure. 

words  passed  between  husband  and  wife  during 
the  attempt  at  eating  that  uncomfortable  break 
fast,  which  had  made  wounds.  If  this  were 
so,  they  could  be  better  healed  between  hus 
band  and  wife  alone ;  she  must  give  up  her 
little  tea.  Then  the  other  plan  should  be 
made  to  work.  She  slipped  her  watch  back 
into  its  pocket,  and  spoke  briskly  : 

"  You  are  telling  me  all  this  because  you 
are  a  sensible  woman,  and  paid  me  the  com 
pliment  of  believing  my  offer  of  sympathy 
sincere ;  and  you  know  that,  to  a  Christian 
woman,  there  is  no  higher  privilege  than  to 
be  able  to  help  a  sister  in  Christ.  Now,  dear 
friend,  listen  to  me :  I  don't  wonder  a  kitchen 
left  in  the  plight  which  you  describe  should 
look  formidable  to  you,  but  it  doesn't  to  me  ; 
I  have  conquered  one  many  a  time,  coal-fire 
and  all ;  moreover,  I  can  show  you  how  to 
do  it  so  that  it  will  cease  to  be  a  hopeless 
thing  to  you.  Now  I  want  you  to  further 
prove  your  faith  in  my  hearty  friendship,  by 
letting  me  go  with  you  right  into  that  said 
kitchen,  and  reduce  it  to  a  state  of  meek  and 
dainty  subordination ;  then  you  will  get  for 


Serving  Christ  in  the  Kitchen.  311 

your  husband  as  nice  a  little  supper  as  he  ever 
ate  in  his  life  ;  get  it  with  your  own  two  hands, 
and  my  word  for  it,  he  will  have  an  unusual 
appetite." 

With  eyes  that  were  full  of  astonishment 
did  Mrs.  Evans  for  a  moment  gaze  on  her 
guest.  That  this  proposal  brought  her  into 
contact  with  a  form  of  friendship  to  which  she 
had  heretofore  been  a  stranger  was  evident; 
that  she  was  puzzled  to  know  how  to  receive 
it  was  equally  evident.  Only  a  moment  the 
look  of  bewildered  irresolution  rested  on  her 
face,  and  then  she  said,  suddenly : 

"  I  believe  you  do  mean  every  word  you  say  ; 
thank  you  :  I  need  help ;  I  believe  I  need  just 
the  kind  that  you  are  willing  to  give ;  I  will 
accept  it  gratefully." 

There  was  a  happy  light  in  Mrs.  Spafford's 
eyes.  This  simple,  sincere  answer  had  shown 
her  that  she  was  not  mistaken  in  her  estimate 
of  this  fair  young  housekeeper;  she  was  a 
woman  to  be  helped,  not  only,  but  to  be  loved. 

Feeling  still  assured  in  her  heart  that  this 
was  no  time  for  more  important  matters,  with 
out  more  ado  Mrs.  Spafford  urged  an  immediate 


312  The  Pocket  Measure. 

assault  on  the  kitchen,  and  thither  the  two 
women  went,  Mrs.  Evans  only  pausing  to  say 
in  a  distressed  tone: 

"  If  I  only  had  a  large  apron  that  would  pro 
tect  your  dress !  " 

"  Never  mind,"  her  guest  answered,  cheerily  ; 
"my  dress  is  only  calico,  and  washes  nicely." 
Then  she  set  to  work  on  that  forlorn  stove. 
"  You  see,"  she  said  —  resolved  upon  working 
and  lecturing  at  the  same  time  —  "  coal  is 
splendid  for  burning,  after  it  has  been  coaxed 
long  enough ;  it  is  very  hard-hearted,  needs  a 
pretty  large  gathering  of  kindlings  blazing  all 
around  it  to  set  it  a  good  example.  I  suppose 
this  is  the  place  where  they  are  kept,  is  it  not  ? 
Your  house  is  arranged  like  mine." 

Saying  which  she  opened  a  door,  disappeared 
for  a  moment,  and  returned  with  her  arms  full 
of  neat  billets  of  wood,  of  uniform  length ; 
these  she  built  up  with  skillful  interlacing, 
inside  the  wide-mouthed  monster,  Mrs.  Evans 
looking  on  with  interested,  yet  incredulous 
face  —  she  had  had  an  experience  with  these 
heartless  black  lumps  that  the  skillful  engineer 
was  piling  in  with  t  such  composed  face ;  she 


Serving  Christ  in  the  Kitchen.  313 

did  not  believe  they  would  burn!  But  they 
did! 

"They  are  conquered,"  the  younger  lady 
said,  with  a  relieved  sigh,  as  the  flames  shot 
up  through  the  interlacings  and  curled  them 
selves  skillfully  around  the  black  lumps,  which 
soon  began  to  emit  a  flame  peculiar  to  them 
selves.  "  They  recognize  a  superior  power, 
and  do  not  dare  to  act  as  they  did  with  me  so 
short  a  time  ago." 

Now  if  you  are  a  skillful  general  of  a  dis 
ordered  kitchen,  possessing  the  ability  to  mar 
shal  pans,  kettles  and  pails  into  orderly  ranks, 
and  make  them  retire  to  their  places,  you 
know  how  steadily  the  small  kitchen  yielded 
to  the  spell  that  was  now  upon  it;  if,  on  the 
other  hand,  you  have  the  misfortune  to  be  one 
of  those  who,  though  able  to  play  sixteen  pages 
of  Chopin,  or  some  other  distinguished  com 
poser,  without  a  mistake,  yet  look  with  absolute 
dismay  —  yes,  even  terror  —  on  the  interm 
inable  paraphernalia  of  a  well-stocked  kitchen, 
you  can  appreciate  the  feelings  with  which 
Mrs.  Evans  watched  the  rapid  transformation 
of  hers.  They  were  such  tiny  places  after  all 


814  The  Pocket  Measure. 

—  kitchen  and  pantry  —  and  the  water  was 
so  hot  and  soap  so  plentifully  used  that, 
to  a  skillful  workman,  it  could  not,  you  know, 
take  much  time  ;  but  it  looked  like  rnagic  to 
Mrs.  Evans. 

"  I  wish  I  could  do  it,"  she  said,  eagerty,  as 
she  lifted  the  shining  plates  from  their  bath 
in  the  hot  rinsing  water  and  set  them  to  drain, 
after  the  copy  which  had  been  set  her.  "  How 
smooth  they  feel  and  how  shining  they  are ! 
Betty  would  not  recognize  one  of  them.  Mrs. 
Spafford,  I  tell  you  truly,  if  I  only  need  not 
have  another  of  those  girls  enter  my  house,  I 
should  be  happy  enough  to  shout.  I  cannot 
tell  you  what  a  terror  they  all  are  to  me. 
They  do  nothing  right,  and  I  know  just  enough 
to  be  sure  of  that,  but  I  don't  know  how  to 
help  it,  and  I  am  afraid  of  them  all." 

"  Why  don't  you  do  without  them  ?  "  said 
Mrs.  Spafford,  coolly ;  "  little  bits  of  homes 
like  yours  and  mine  are  too  small  and  precious 
for  hired  hands  to  touch,  if  we  have  strength 
enough  to  guard  them  from  it.  I  just  enjoy 
getting  dinner  for  Warren,  and  we  have  the 
cosiest  little  breakfasts." 


Serving  Christ  in  the  Kitchen.  815 

Mrs.  Evans'  eyes  brightened  wistfully. 

"  If  I  were  only  you,"  she  said,  and  she 
thought  of  the  three  dollars  that  had  to  be 
transferred  each  week  from  her .  purse  to  that 
of  her  tormentor ;  if  it  could  be  saved.  "  If 
I  were  only  you  I  But  I  don't  know  anything 
about  it." 

"Learn,"  said  Mrs.  Spafford,  coolly,  as 
though  it  were  a  very  simple  matter;  '-you 
would  be  surprised  to  see  how  soon  you  could 
manage  this  nice  little  home  to  your  entire 
satisfaction.  Mrs.  Evans,  what  are  we  going  to 
get  for  a  treat  for  your  husband  this  evening  ?  " 

The  bright  look  faded  from  the  weary  house 
keeper's  eyes. 

"  There  is  very  little  in  the  house,"  she  said, 
her  cheeks  flushing ;  "  it  rained  so  I  depended 
on  Betty.  I  meant  to  have  a  leg  of  lamb 
and  some  vegetables." 

"Too  late  for  those,"  declared  the  cook; 
"  besides,  we  want  to  be  dainty,  you  know,  not 
go  into  anything  so  gross  as  legs  of  lamb." 
This  with  .  a  merry  laugh.  "  I  see  a  dish  of 
potatoes  in  the  pantry ;  do  you  ever  stew  them 
in  milk  I  We  used  to  have  cream  when  I  was 


316  The  Pocket  Measure. 

a  girl  and  lived  where  milk  was  a  necessity, 
not  a  luxury,  but  now  I  use  milk  and  find 
it  answers  nicely;  I  can  show  you  how  to 
serve  a  dish  that  I  fancy  you  will  enjoy." 

Mrs.  Evans  gratefully  agreed  to  be  shown, 
not withstau ding  the  fact  that  in  her  ignorant 
heart  she  was  skeptical  about  making  that  ugly 
looking  dish  of  cold  potatoes  fit  to  eat;  still 
her  forehead  did  not  clear. 

"  I  wish  Betty  had  controlled  her  temper  long 
enough  to  have  baked  bread,"  she  said,  sadly ; 
"we1  have  nothing  but  baker's  bread,  and  my 
husband  dislikes  it  so  much." 

"  Then  let  us  have  some  dear  little  soda  bis 
cuits,  as  light  as  puff  balls  ;  I  saw  a  cup  of  sour 
milk  on  the  shelf,  and  felt  just  like  taking  it 
down  and  making  something  nice." 

"  Sour  milk !  "  said  poor  Mrs.  Evans,  aghast 
at  the  idea. 

"  Yes,  indeed ;  you  have  eaten  the  little 
white  puffs  often,  I  presume  ;  they  are  easy  to 
make.  It  is  the  very  thing.  I'll  set  you  to 
making  them  while  I  get  the  potatoes  ready  to 
cook ;  then  while  they  are  baking  you  can  cook 
the  potatoes." 


Serving  Christ  in  the  Kitchen.  817 

"There  is  some  steak,"  said  Mrs.  Evans, 
hesitatingly ;  "  Mr.  Evans  doesn't  dine  down 
town,  he  only  takes  a  plain  lunch,  so  I  like  to 
have  meat  for  him,  but  I  don't  know  that  I 
can  manage  steak." 

Very  meekly  she  spoke ;  she  knew  no  more 
about  broiling  steak  than  she  did  about  those 
biscuits  which  Mrs.  Spafford  so  composedly 
talked  of  her  making. 

"  Oh,  yes,  you  can,"  declared  the  brisk  voice  ; 
"  that  is  easy.  Now  about  the  biscuit.  There 
is  a  quart  measure,  first  you  sift  a  quart  of 
flour,  now  just  so-  much  butter  —  wait,  this 
little  plate  will  measure  it  nicely,  arid  serve 
you  for  the  future." 

Thus  she  moved  with  careful  steps,  putting 
her  directions  as  clearly  and  as  briefly  as  pos 
sible,  until  Mrs.  Evans,  her  face  flushed,  her 
eyes  shining,  stooped  and  set  in  the  oven  a  row 
of  small  round  balls  that  she  verily  believed 
would  never  be  anything  but  burnt  dough ! 
How  could  anything  so  simple  and  so  quickly 
done  ever  transform  itself  into  something  fit  to 
eat?  But  when  the  stewed  potatoes  were 
tested  with  a  delicious  mouthful,  according  to 


318  The  Pocket  Measure. 

Mrs.  SpafFord's  direction  ;  when  the  bit  of  juicy 
steak  lay  meekly  between  the  wire  gridiron, 
and  was  being  skillfully  turned,  and  emitted 
a  delicious  odor  through  the  kitchen, -and  when 
the  "lumps  of  dough"  came  out  of  the  oven 
the  plumpest,  flakiest  little  puffs  that  her  eyes 
had  ever  beheld;  when  the  tea  was  steep 
ing,  and  her  husband's  key  was  heard  in  the 
front  door,  and  Mrs.  Evans  was  alone,  her 
good  angel  having  but  a  few  minutes  before 
washed  her  hands,  rolled  down  her  sleeves, 
and  vanished  through  the  back  door,  having 
given  this  parting  word :  '.'  Now,  Mrs.  Evans, 
I  want  you  to  tell  me  whether  your  husband 
likes  stewed  potatoes  or  not,  especially  of  your 
stewing,  and  soda  biscuit  of  your  making," 
Mrs.  Evans,  thinking  of  her,  of  the  words 
that  she  had  spoken  that  day,  of  the  work 
her  hands  had  wrought,  and  of  the  courage  and 
hope  which  she  had  breathed  into  her,  had 
much  ado  to  keep  the  tears  from  starting 
again ;  they  would  doubtless  have  had  their 
way  but  for  the  fact  that  her  delicately 
broiled  bit  of  steak  was  ready  to  be  served. 
The  tears  were  stayed,  but  her  heart  was  full 


Serving  Christ  in  the  Kitchen.  819 

of  grateful  love,  as  she  said  to  herself,  with 
a  resolute  little  pressure  of  her  lips,  as  though 
she  were  speaking  the  words  in  her  heart: 
"She  is  a  blessed  woman;  I  believe  God  sent 
her  to  me  in  my  misery ;  she  doesn't  know 
all  she  has  done  for  me  today.  There  is 
something  else  that  she  can  teach  me ;  I 
shall  know  the  difference  between  her  religion 
and  mine.  She  has  something  that  I  have 
not,  and,  if  it  is  for  me,  I  mean  to  have  it." 

"  You  will  have  to  dine  off  bread  and  milk 
to-night,"  declared  Mrs.  Spafford,  with  smiling 
eyes,  to  her  astonished  husband,  who  was  re 
viving  their  neglected  fire,  when  she  appeared 
through  the  rain,  at  the  side  door.  "  I  have 
been  out  all  the  afternoon.  I  found  an  open 
door  which  I  have  entered,  I  verily  believe, 
for  the  Master's  sake." 

"  God  bless  yon ! "  he  said,  looking  down 
on  her  tenderly,  when  she  had  told  so  much 
of  her  story  as  she  felt  she  had  a  right  to 
tell.  "  If  you  can  make  a  home  over  there 
like  this  of  ours,  I  believe  you  will  save  two 
souls,  instead  of  one,  from  shipwreck." 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

THE   ENDS   MEET. 

is  not  my  purpose  to  give  you  a  de 
tailed  account  of  my  friend  Mrs.  Spaf- 
ford's  life,  nor  of  her  plans  of  work. 
Indeed,  I  could  not  if  I  would.  The  story  of 
a  life  must,  of  necessity,  be  fragmentary ;  bits 
here  and  there  from  actual  every-day  experi 
ences. 

It  may  be  that  some  have  mistaken  my  de 
sign  in  telling  you  somewhat  of  this  true 
woman's  experience.  I  may  have  been  expected 
to  give  in  detail  the  management  of  a  Christian 
household  on  small  capital;  all  the  little  econo 
mies,  the  plans,  the  self-denials,  the  failures. 
Such  was  by  no  means  my  intention.  Mrs. 
320 


The  Ends  Meet.  321 

Spafford's  quiet  economies  and  self-denials  shall 
be  left  like  those  of  hundreds  of  other  Chris 
tian  women,  with  God  and  her  husband.  I 
may  even  have  been  expected  to  prove  that 
she  found  it  possible  to  keep  to  the  Bible  doc 
trine  of  tithe-giving,  and  yet  not  starve  !  Thank 
the  Lord  that  many  and  many  a  Christian  life 
proves  that!  There  is  little  need  that  Mrs. 
Spafford's  history  should  be  added.  The  truth 
is,  I  love  to  linger  over  these  first  beginnings, 
but  there  is  need  for  haste,  and  I  must  ask  you 
to  step  over  a  chasm  of  almost  two  years  before 
you  take  another  peep  at  the  pretty  little 
home.  And  I  must  own  that  you  will  find  it 
in  shadow.  There  has  been  much  sunshine 
during  those  two  years.  There  has  been  prog 
ress  in  the  mission  work  to  which  my  friend 
has  devoted  as  much  of  her  means  and  her 
heart  as  was  possible.  There  has  been  a  white 
day  in  her  life  when  she  went  to  the  great 
reunion  of  Christian  women,  met  to  compare 
notes  and  devise  plans  for  the  future. 

She  has  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  a  great 
church  filled  to  overflowing  with  Christian 
women.  Women  on  the  platform  presiding, 


322  The  Pocket  Measure, 

planning,  managing,  with  the  skill  of  generals 
trained  to  the  service,  and  enlisted  "  for  life  or 
during  the  war  ! "  She  has  heard  the  voice  of 
prayer  from  lips  that  once  were  unaccustomed 
to  the  service  ;  and  from  lips  that  once  were 
sure  they  could  not  speak,  save  in  the  solitude 
of  their  own  rooms.  She  has  heard  addresses 
such  as  thrilled  her  heart,  and  nerved  all  her 
powers  to  new  effort ;  addresses  from  the  lips 
of  women.  She  has  even  lived  to  see  Mrs. 
Bacon  appointed  a  district  collector  for  the 
Woman's  Board,  and  heard  her  offer,  in  silvery 
tones,  an  address  of  welcome  to  delegates  from 
a  distance.  Oh,  yes,  she  knew  the  world 
moved ! 

Meantime  it  had  moved  in  a  quieter,  but  no 
less  certain  way  right  around  her.  I  hope  you 
do  not  imagine  that  that  co-operative  business 
enterprise  was  a  failure?  I  very  much  doubt 
whether  anything  begun  as  that  was,  with  such 
an  end  in  view,  and  guided  every  step  of  the 
way  by  prayer,  is  ever  a  failure.  Certainly  this 
was  not.  The  S  to  well  parlor  had  found  its 
level.  A  long,  bright  room,  lighted  with  many 
windows,  brightened  with  flowers  in  summer 


The  Ends  Meet.  823 

time,  and  with  potted  plants  and  flourishing 
vines  in  winter  ;  brightened  —  the  windows  and 
the  tables  —  with  every  variety  of  glowing 
color  in  worsted  and  silk.  Every  step  of  the 
way  had  been  a  success.  That  is,  after  they 
were  fairly  started ;  there  are  always  draw 
backs  at  first  with  which  to  contend.  There 
were  some  to  say  that  the  scheme  was  a  wild 
one,  and  would  never  succeed.  There  were 
some  to  grow  weary  of  it  very  soon  and  aban 
don  their  efforts ;  there  were  some  to  sigh  and 
predict  failure  because  the  whole  world  did  not 
rush  in  upon  them  from  the  very  first  to  admire 
and  to  buy.  And  yet  it  had  moved  steadily 
forward.  It  was  on  an  assured  footing  now. 
There  was  every  sort  of  fancy  article  to  be 
had  that  you  might  choose  to  order ;  if  not  "  in 
stock,"  the  trim  white-aproned  miss,  with  de 
mure  face  and  laughing  eyes  who  waited  on 
you  with  pencil  arid  paper,  and  announced  her 
self  the  "  order  clark,"  would  quietly  take  your 
minute  directions,  taking  care  that  they  should 
be  minute  by  becoming  a  skillful  questioner, 
taking  care  that  they  should  be  in  black  and 
white,  with  your  own  name  appended,  and  the 


324  The  Pocket  Measure. 

date  at  which  yon  might  expect  the  same ; 
taking  care,  too,  that  you  should  have  a  dupli 
cate,  so  that  yon  might  expect  neither  more  nor 
less  than  had  been  ordered ;  so  careful  was  this 
new  firm  of  its  reputation.  There  was  a  va 
riety  counter,  where  could  be  found  pins  and 
needles  and  thread  and  tape  and  buttons,  of 
exactly  the  right  size  and  color  and  shape. 
There  were  endless  little  useful  articles  belong 
ing  to  that  class  of  goods  that  people  never 
think  about  until  they  see,  and  then  know  they 
must  have  right  away.  It  took  a  little  time 
to  accustom  the  patrons  to  the  fact  that  this 
unique  store  was  only  open  on  one  afternoon 
of  each  week,  and  then  for  a  limited  time.  For 
the  first  few  weeks  the  partners  were  contin 
ually  informed  that  if  they  were  open  every, 
day  they  would  get  a  great  deal  more  custom. 
Gradually,  however,  ladies  began  to  say,  "  I 
suppose  /  could  wait  until  Saturday  for  that 
purchase,  and  then  buy  it  of  the  girls ;  it  would 
encourage  them."  In  the  course  of  time  this 
statement  also  changed,  and  took  the  form  of, 
"  Oh  wait  until  Saturday  and  buy  your  buttons 
(or  your  edges  or  your  collars)  at  '  The  What- 


The  Ends  Meet.  325 

Not ' '  (for  such  was  the  simple,  suggestive 
name  that  their  establishment  assumed)  ;  it  will 
really  pay  you  to  wait,  they  have  such  a  nice 
variety,  and  are  so  very  reasonable  in  their 
prices.  Besides  if  they  haven't  exactly  what 
you  want,  they  will  take  your  order,  and  manu 
facture  or  purchase  for  you.  They  have  a  buy 
ing  clerk  who  can  really  suit  you  better  in  the 
city  than  you  can  yourself,  and  save  all  the 
wear  and  tear  of  running  around  besides." 

When  Mrs.  Spafford  knew  that  this  form  of 
talk  had  come  to  be  the  prevailing  one  as  re 
garded  their  place  of  business,  she  settled 
down  into  satisfaction.  Of  the  constant  strain 
upon  time  and  strength  and  patience,  that  it 
was  to  this  one  woman  to  keep  all  the  wheels 
of  her  delicate  machinery  properly  oiled  and 
running  smoothly,  I  will  not  attempt  to  tell. 
She  had  one  all-sustaining  motive ;  she  knew 
that  it  was,  with  her,  work  done  literally  for 
the  Master.  She  earnestly  believed  that  it  was 
not  only  an  institution  for  making  a  little  money 
in  a  legitimate  way,  but  that  it  was  a  training- 
school.  For  were  not  all  these  young  ladies 
connected  with  the  firm,  learning,  not  only  to 


326  The  Pocket  Measure* 

earn,  but  to  give,  systematically,  regularly, 
conscientiously  ?  In  Mrs.  Evans  she  had  found 
just  the  helper  she  needed ;  it  was  her  exquisite 
taste,  backed  by  the  other's  educated  judgment, 
that  secured  to  the  firm  its  reputation  for  hav 
ing  just  the  very  things  that  matched,  and  that 
one  wanted. 

As  for  Mrs.  Evans,  what  had  not  the  enter 
prise  done  for  her?  Of  the  earnest,  active 
Young  Ladies'  Band  that  had  grown  out  of 
this  enterprise,  or  rather  grown  along  with  it, 
and  become  a  vital  element  of  its  existence,  it 
shall  be  my  pleasure  to  tell  you,  more  at  length, 
some  other  time.  For  the  present  let  it  rejoice 
your  heart  to  know  that  the  scheme  widened 
daily,  not  only  as  a  business,  but  as  a  circle 
of  influence.  Nothing  that  she  had  ever  un 
dertaken,  with  an  eye  single  to  the  glory  of 
her  Master,  had  so  filled  Mrs.  Spafford's  heart 
with  joy  and  gratitude  as  did  this  whole 
matter. 

Yet,  as  I  told  you  in  the  beginning,  over  the 
small  happy  home  there  had  come  shadows. 
Not  light  ones,  drooping  low  for  a  little,  then 
flitting  away;  oh,  there  had  been  many  such, 


The  Ends  Meet.  327 

of  course  ;  Mrs.  Spafford  had  expected  them  ; 
she  was  not  a  child,  nor  yet  an  enthusiast;  it 
had  not  been  an  easy  matter  at  all  times  to 
make  ends  meet.  Especially  had  such  been 
the  case  when  extra  expenses  came  upon  them, 
for  they  had  had  many  an  extra  expense  ;  who 
has  not?  Many  a  time  had  the  careful  account 
ant  rejoiced  over  that  fund  —  ever  so  tiny 
though  it  was  —  which  she  had  been  able  to 
lay  aside  from  time  to  time  as  an  extra.  Many 
a  time  had  she  rejoiced  over  the  monthly 
dividends  from  the  little  firm,  which,  though 
so  small  that  they  would  have  made  a  business 
man  shout  in  derision,  had  added  not  a  little 
to  her  hoarded  "extra."  Out  of  the  neces 
sity  for  this  "extra"  had  also  grown  great 
satisfaction ;  for  the  husband,  looking  on,  with 
eager  eyes,  helping  where  he  could,  standing  in 
manly  admiration  where  he  could  not,  was  one 
day  enabled  to  get  his  eyes  open  so  wide  that 
.he  discovered  even  five  cents  for  a  cigar  to  be 
an  expense  that  he  certainly  could  avoid  if  he 
chose ;  and  seeing  the  example  ever  before  him 
of  self-forgetful  economy  he  could  not  but 
choose.  It  is  true  his  eyes  were  opened  wider 


328  The  Pocket  Measure. 

than  that ;  in  laying  it  aside,  he  first  discov 
ered  what  an  almost  necessity  it  had  become, 
and  over  this  discovery  he  was  so  shocked  that 
I  think  he  would  have  had  courage  to  continue 
the  struggle  even  without  the  motive  of  econ 
omy;  but  that  it  was  a  struggle  at  all,  was 
a  mortification  to  him.  "I  declare,"  he  said 
to  himself,  speaking  firmly,  "I'll  never  be  a 
slave  to  any  habit!  I  did  not  dream  of 
such  a  think!  If  five-cent  pieces  should 
ever  become  as  plenty  with  me  as  flies  in 
August — and  there  is  no  danger  —  I'll  never 
smoke  cigars  again."  Not  long  thereafter  his 
eyes  were  opened  wider.  He  had  not  thought 
to  tell  Gallic ;  it  was  such  a  little  matter,  and 
he  was  half  ashamed  that  he  had  not  done 
it  before;  it  did  not  seem  necessary  to  let 
her  know  what  a  struggle  it  had  been ;  so 
he  kept  his  small  secret  —  at  least  he  thought 
so.  As  if  such  a  husband  could  keep  a  secret 
from  such  a  wife ! 

"  What  has  become  of  them  ? "  she  asked 
him  one  evening. 

And  so  innocent  of  her  feeling  was  he,  that 
he  asked  in  astonishment: 


The  Ends  Meet.  329 

"Of  what?" 

"The  cigars  that  were  to  piece  out  your 
lunch?" 

"Oh!  Why?  Become  of  them?  I  dare 
say  they  are  smoke  by  this  time ;  somebody 
has  puffed  them  into  thin  air,  though  I  didn't. 
How  did  you  know,  Gallic  ?  " 

She  gave  him  only  a  very  searching  and 
very  happy  look  in  answer;  then,  after  a 
minute  : 

"  How  could  I  help  knowing  ?  Why  did 
you  do  it,  Warren?" 

"  A  variety  of  reasons,  little  cross-questioner. 
In  the  first  place,  it  occurred  to  me  that,  al 
though  a  very  small  leak,  it  was  one  that 
might  as  well  be  stopped.  You  see  you  set 
me  such  a  persistent  example  on  that  score 
that  I  could  not  well  help  learning  —  and 
then — well,  Callie,  I  don't  know  how  you 
discovered  anything  about  it,  but  you  may 
as  well  know  the  truth.  I  found  the  habit 
had  grown  on  me —  was  harder  to  break  than 
I  supposed,  much  harder ;  I  could  hardly  have 
believed  what  a  struggle  it  would  be,  and 
that  convinced  me  that  I  must  break  off  not 


830  The  Pocket  Measure. 

only  for  the  present  but  forever ;  of  course, 
the  Lord's  freedmen  can  not  afford  to  bind 
themselves  with  any  sort  of  chains." 

When  they  knelt  together  for  family  wor 
ship,  which  they  did  in  a  very  few  minutes 
after  this  conversation,  there  was  that  in  his 
wife's  prayer,  in  the  words,  and  in  the  quiver 
of  her  voice,  as  she  laid  her  joy  before  the 
Lord,  that  her  husband  said,  directly  they 
arose  from  their  knees  —  said  it  with  his  arms 
clasped  close  around  her: 

"  My  dear,  if  I  had  known,  if  I  had  dreamed, 
that  it  was  a  sorrow  to  you  I  should  have 
turned  from  the  whole  thing  long  ago.  What 
self-gratification  is  there  important  enough  for 
a  man  to  be  the  cause  of  an  hour  of  pain 
to  his  wife  !  " 

"Then  I  ought  to  have  told  you  long  ago 
how  I  felt,"  said  Callie,  her  eyes  brimming 
with  glad  tears. 

And  I  think  so,  too.  At  the  same  time  I 
admit  that  she  thought  within  her  glad  heart 
that  not  all  men  were  like  her  husband  in 
his  willingness  to  give  up  self  for  his  wife's 
sake;  and  I  am  afraid  I  think  that,  also. 


The  Ends  Meet. ''  331 

Meantime,  though  I  am  long  in  introducing 
him,  there  was  another  and  a  very  important 
reason  why  Callie  was  glad.  Do  you  think 
she  wanted  the  father  of  her  son  to  set  him 
an  example  as  a  tobacco-smoker  ?  Not  she ! 
Where  is  the  mother  who  does?  And  the 
boy  was  six  months  old  —  able  to  watch  with 
very  wise  eyes  what  was  going  on  in  the  world. 
"Who  is  going  to  say  how  soon  he  might  have 
thought  the  curl  of  cigar-smoke  in  the  air  a 
very  pretty  thing  ?  or  how  early  he  might  have 
become  accustomed  to  a  tobacco-tainted  breath 
as  something  inseparately  connected  with  his 
small  world?  His  name,  of  course,  was  War 
ren,  but  what  did  the  glad  young  mother  call 
him  for  a  pet  name  but  "  War."  I  am  not 
sure  that  there  was  not  a  queer  significance 
to  the  name  in  her  heart !  What  war  there 
had  been  between  her  scantily-filled  purse  and 
her  conscience  during  the  days  when  she  was 
fashioning  his  cunning  little  garments  !  Dear 
me  !  Doesn't  every  mother  know  all  about  it  ? 
The  lovely  embroidery,  the  delicate  flannels 
and  muslins,  and  cambrics  and  lawns,  too  fine 
and  fair  and  sweet  for  any  but  those  who 


332  The  Pocket  Measure. 

seem  to  have  just  come  from  heaven — the  little 
babies.  Yet  this  mother  had  come  off  victor. 
Soft  flannels  ?  Oh,  yes,  indeed !  they  were  in 
her  estimation  a  necessity.  Delicate  white 
robes,  many  of  them  —  they,  too,  were  neces 
sities  ;  but  they  were  not  so  fine,  nor  so  long, 
nor  so  daintily  tucked  as  the  mother's  fond, 
foolish  heart  would  have  liked,  and  the  em 
broidery —  that  apparent  necessity  to  baby 
existence,  if  we  may  judge  from  the  wardrobes 
of  many  —  was  very  scarce.  Embroidery,  such 
as  she  would  have  liked  her  darling  to  wear, 
would  make  awful  inroads  on  the  scanty  purse, 
and  embroidery  such  as  she  could  make,  she 
was  well  aware,  made  awful  inroads  on  time 
and  strength  ;  so  she  made  war  with  the  wish 
to  smother  her  darling  under  such  costly  folly, 
and  as  I  said,  came  off  victor.  It  wasn't  so 
hard,  after  she  went  shopping  one  day  with  a 
lady  who  paid  three  dollars  for  a  yard  and  a 
quarter  of  the  pretty  stuff,  and  would  not  join 
the  Missionary  Society  because  she  could  not 
afford  it! 

"After    all,"    she    said    to    Warren,  "such 
people  help ;  they  make  one  see  the  folly,  the 


The  Ends  Meet.  333 

inconsistencies   in    things    more    quickly   than 
they  can  be  shown  in  any  other  way." 
But  her  perverse  husband  answered  : 
"Then   it   is   a   pity   they  wouldn't  work   a 
trifle  faster,  and  let  more  people  see  it." 

Yes,  I  am  telling  a  true  story.  They  did  it. 
Six  months  had  there  been  this  pretty  little 
new  body  to  think  of  and  care  for,  and  not  a 
penny  of  debt  incurred.  Neither  had  a  penny 
been  borrowed  from  the  sacred  jewels  in  the 
box  on  the  mantel.  It  wasn't  easy ;  oh,  dear, 
no !  There  was  much  self-sacrifice,  much  plan 
ning,  much  diligent  forethought  and  after 
thought.  There  were  quiet  little  self-denials 
practiced  which  cost  some  strength  of  will, 
but  which  after  all  left  the  head  and  heart 
calmer,  perhaps,  than  they  would  otherwise 
have  been.  There  were  industrious  hours 
over  plain  sewing  for  certain  neighbors,  who 
were  glad  to  get  a  deft  needle-woman  so  con 
venient  to  them.  There  was  every  penny  of 
the  carefully-hoarded  "extra"  used.  Why 
not  ?  They  had  said  gaily  to  each  other,  this 
happy  father  and  mother,  "  Isn't  he  a  blessed 
little  extra  ? "  and  they  had  kissed  him  until 


334  The  Pocket  Measure. 

he  cried.  Ungrateful  baby.  It  needs  planning 
and  patience  and  sacrifice,  but  it  can  be  done. 
Don't  I  tell  you  it  was  done? 

Yet  the  shadow  fell.  The  hot  days  came  and 
hot  nights,  when  baby  fretted  and  moaned, 
and  in  many  ways  made  good  —  so  his  father 
declared  —  his  right  and  title  to  his  pet  name. 
These  nights  were  followed  by  weary  days, 
when  the  mother  toiled  and  toiled,  and  felt  she 
had  not  strength  to  do,  and  so  left  undone, 
with  a  conscientious  self-sacrifice  that  only 
those  can  understand  who  have  been  obliged 
to  turn  away  from  duties  that  they  longed  to 
perform.  If  baby  had  only  kept  well,  the  long 
warm  days  would  have  been  lived  through  joy 
fully,  but  he  grew  steadily  weaker  and  thinner. 
They  did  not  tell  their  grave  forebodings  to 
each  other,  this  husband  and  wife,  and  by  so 
much  more  did  they  press  heavily  on  each 
heart.  Still  they  tried  to  be  brave  before  each 
other ;  but  the  father's  very  step,  as  he  hurried 
up  the  little  walk  when  the  business  day  was 
done,  grew  to  have  a  nervous,  anxious  sound 
in  it,  and  his  eagerly  put  question,  before  the 
door  was  fairly  opened,  "How  is  he  to-night, 


The  Ends  Meet.  835 

Callie  ?  "  had  such  an  undertone  of  pain  in  it 
that  she,  in  pity,  learned  to  watch  for  his  step, 
and  to  say  with  a  smile,  when  she  could,  "  We 
are  no  worse,  I  think,  papa."  Yet  they  both 
knew  that  not  to  be  better  was  in  reality  to  be 
worse. 

"  If  we  could  only  get  to  cooler  quarters," 
the  father  said  occasionally,  and  directly  he  had 
spoken  he  turned  away  quickly  from  his  wife's 
wistful  eyes.  Truly,  they  felt  as  though  it  would 
have  been  almost  as  reasonable  to  talk  about 
getting  to  heaven. 

Meantime,  another  anxiety  menaced  them. 
"  Mr.  Spafford,"  the  senior  partner  of  the  firm 
had  said  to  him,  "  You  must  hold  yourself  in 
readiness  to  go  to  Paxton  at  an  hour's  warn 
ing.  There  is  some  business-  pending  which 
may  result  in  our  having  to  send  you  out  in 
haste.  The  fact  is,  Howell  &  Co.  are  in  diffi 
culties,  and  I'm  afraid — "  At  this  point  he 
pushed  to  the  outer  door  and  drew  his  chair 
nearer  his  clerk,  and  there  ensued  a  business 
explanation,  to  the  details  of  which  Mr.  Spaf 
ford  had  much  ado  to  give  attention,  distracted 
as  he  was  with  the  query  as  to  how  he  would 


386  The  Pocket  Measure. 

manage  about  leaving  Gallic  and  the  boy,  and 
with  the  awful  thought,  what  if  the  boy  should 
grow  worse  in  the  night  while  he  was  away  ? 
He  did  not  like  to  admit  even  to  himself  that 
the  baby's  illness  was  such  as  to  justify  him 
in  asking  to  be  excused  from  the  trip.  If  he 
had,  he  was  by  no  means  sure  it  would  have 
done  any  good.  His  employers  were  men  not 
given  to  thinking  of  much  that  did  not  concern 
business.  Still  he  made  all  necessary  prepara 
tions  for  his  wife.  She  heard  the  news  with 
a  dismayed  face,  yet  promptly  realized  the 
importance  of  satisfying  his  employers. 

"  I  wish  Mrs.  Evans  were  at  home,"  was  the 
instant  outreach  after  help.  She  knew  many 
people,  and  they  were  very  kind,  and  she  liked 
them ;  yet,  after  all,  how  few  there  are  among 
our  acquaintances  whom  we  are  willing  to  call 
in  to  be  one  with  us  in  perplexity  and  trouble. 
Mrs.  Evans  had  come  to  be  such  an  one,  but 
she  had  gone  with  her  husband  into  the 
country  during  his  vacation. 

"Addie  Stowell  would  stay  with  you,"  her 
husband  said,  "  and  Charley  will  sleep  here  to 
be  within  call,  in  case  you  should  need — '' 


The  Ends  Meet.  337 

He  did  not  finish  his  sentence.  He  knew 
he  would  be  understood.  There  was  always 
before  them  the  possbility  of  baby  growing 
suddenly  worse,  and  the  need  of  a  summons 
to  the  doctor. 

So  all  the  preparations  were  made,  though 
Mr.  Spafford  said  cheerily  :  "  After  all,  I  may 
not  have  to  go."  And  as  the  days  passed, 
and  he  heard  no  more  about  it,  and  a  little 
cooler  weather  came,  and  the  baby  seemed 
better,  the  cloud  lifted.  So  Mr.  Spafford  was 
not  prepared  for  his  senior  employer's  sudden 
message,  delivered  very  near  the  close  of  a 
busy  day. 

"  Mr.  Spafford,  we  have  bad  news  from  Pax- 
ton.  I'm  afraid  our  worst  fears  are  .to  be 
realized.  Still,  you  may  be  able  with  prompt 
ness  to  effect  something.  You  will  need  to 
start  at  daylight.  I  regret  that  there  is  no 
earlier  train ;  but  that  will  bring  you  in  soon 
after  midnight,  ready  for  early  work  the  next 
morning.  Well,  sir  ! "  This  last  in  an  inquir 
ing  tone ;  for,  pre-occupied  with  business  as 
he  was,  he  could  not  fail  to  see  the  swift  dis- 


338  The  Pocket  Measure. 

inayed  look  -that  overspread  his  clerk's  face. 
The  dismay  was  very  apparent  in  the  tones 
of  his  voice  : 

"  But  to-morrow  will  be  Sunday  1 " 


CHAPTER  XX. 

MEASURED  BY  TRIAL. 

ELL,"  said  the  senior  partner,  irritation 
visible  on  every  line  of  his  face,  "I 
am  aware  of  that,  of  course.  On  ordi 
nary  occasions  we  are  not  in  the  habit,  as 
you  know,  of  infringing  on  the  Sabbath  rest 
of  our  employes,  but  this  is  a  special  emer 
gency  ;  a  large  amount  of  money  is  at  stake, 
and  you  can,  of  course,  see  the  necessity  for 
your  being  in  Paxton  at  the  earliest  possible 
hour  on  Monday  morning." 

Without    doubt    his   clerk   was    listening   to 

the   measured  words,  every   sentence   of  which 

indicated  the  senior's  annoyance  m  thus  being 

called   to  account,  and  obliged  to   explain  his 

339 


340  The  Pocket  Measure. 

actions.  He  was  listening,  but  he  seemed  in 
doubt  as  to  how  to  answer;  for  he  hesitated, 
and  the  blood  mounted  higher  in  his  face,  and 
the  silence  between  them  was  becoming  op 
pressive.  At  last,  raising  a  pair  of  keen  eyes, 
he  spoke  in  a  firm,  yet  sufficiently  respectful 
tone : 

"  I  cannot  engage  to  break  the  Sabbath,  sir, 
even  in  a  business  emergency." 

"  You  can  not  f  " 

"  No,  sir ;  my  principles  —  prejudices  some 
might  call  them  —  are  very  strongly  marked 
in  that  direction.  I  can  not  conceive  of  a 
business  emergency  which  would  make  it  seem 
right  to  me  to  ignore  the  plain  direction: 
'  Remember  the  Sabbath  day  to  keep  it  holy.' " 

For  a  moment  the  senior  partner  seemed  to 
be  too  much  astonished  to  speak.  He  was 
not  a  high-tempered  man ;  at  least  not  in  the 
sense  in  which  that  phrase  is  generally  under 
stood  ;  he  never  scolded,  never  descended  to 
the  level  of  loud  words,  or  excited  tones  ;  yet 
his  word  was  absolute,  unquestioned  law, 
through  the  entire  establishment ;  and  it  had 
heretofore  been  Mr.  Spaffovd's  business  simply 


Measured  by  Trial.  341 

to  obey.  In  view  of  the  long  education  that 
this  man  of  large  business  had  had  as  an  un 
disputed  sovereign,  it  is  perhaps  no  wonder 
that  he  could  for  a  moment  only  look  his 
astonishment  over  the  sudden  rebellion. 

"  Very  well,"  he  said  at  last,  turning  away 
and  moving  with  his  usual  dignified  step 
toward  the  inner  office. 

The  words  were  quiet,  the  manner  in  no 
sense  changed,  yet  Mr.  Spafford  knew  that  he 
was  in  great  and  dangerous  disfavor  with  his 
chief ;  knew  it  as  well  as  he  did  less  than  an 
hour  afterward,  when  one  of  the  cash  boys 
gave  him  a  note  written  in  the  senior  partner's 
clear,  firm  hand,  which  read  as  follows : 

"Inclosed  find  check  for  $50  (fifty  dollars), 
the  amount  due,  and  accept  the  thanks  of  the 
firm  for  the  faithful  manner  in  which  you 
have  hitherto  served  them.  We  shall,  of 
course,  have  no  further  need  of  your  services 
after  to-day.  Hoping  that  you  will  in  the 
future  meet  with  the  success  that  your  indus 
try  deserves,  we  remain,  yours  truly." 

And  then,  through  the  mist  that  the  faithful 
clerk  felt  gathering  over  his  eyes,  he  could 


342  The  Pocket  Measure. 

see  the  signature  of  the  firm ;  he  even  took 
occasion  to  notice  the  graceful  curve  of  the 
capital  B,  and  the  flourish  around  the  D.  So 
small  were  the  details  with  which  his  mind 
occupied  itself  !  And  yet  he  also  saw  his  home, 
with  its  beloved  wife,  and  its  sick  baby,  and 
the  great  and  increasing  need  that  there  was 
for  money ;  he  saw  himself  out  of  employment 
for  weeks  —  perhaps  for  months  —  and  his  baby 
growing  worse  —  slipping  away  from  them, 
perhaps,  for  want  of  those  things  which  money 
could  procure.  He  saw  actual  want  staring 
them  in  the  face.  Yet  he  went  on  with  the 
column  of  figures  he  was  adding ;  reached  a 
result  that  he  knew  was  correct,  signed  the 
name  of  the  firm  to  half  a  dozen  papers,  wiped 
his  pen  with  usual  care,  closed  and  locked  his 
desk,  delivered  the  keys  to  the  proper  author 
ities,  said  "  Good  evening "  much  as  usual  to 
his  fellow-clerks,  and  went  out,  for  the  last 
time,  from  the  store  where  he  had  served  faith 
fully.  Yet  the  weight  of  the  trial  had  told 
somewhat  on  his  face  by  the  time  he  reached 
home ;  must  have  done  so,  though  he  strove 
hard  not  to  let  it,  and  said  to  himself,  as  he 


Measured  by  Trial.  343 

went  up  the  walk,  that  he  would  not  tell  Callie 
until  after  supper ;  nor  then,  indeed,  unless 
the  baby  was  even  better  than  usual.  Yet  he 
had  not  been  in  the  little  dining-room  five 
minutes  before  she  said : 

"  Warren,  what  is  the  matter  ?  " 

Then,  of  course,  he  told  her.  He  spoke 
cheerfully,  even  smilingly  —  tried  to  make  as 
little  of  it  as  possible,  but  she  stood  bewil 
dered;  she  seemed  unable  to  take  the  idea  in. 

"  Discharged  !  "  she  said.  "  Discharged  !  " 
repeating  the  word  in  a  dazed  sort  of  way, 
thinking  how  strange  it  sounded  connected 
with  her  husband's  name.  "  Why,  Warren, 
what  can  you  mean  ?  " 

Then  the  whole  story  had  to  be  gone  over ; 
and,  after  all,  it  was  well ;  it  was  such  a  short 
story,  so  simple  and  untragical  in  its  details 
that  it  might  almost  have  quieted  the  excite 
ment  of  them  both  to  go  over  it.  Yet  it  meant 
to  them  serious  business;  they  both  knew  it 
meant:  "We  have  lost  that  which  was  our 
daily  bread."  There  was  no  bank  account, 
however  small ;  there  was  not  even  an  "extra" 
laid  away  in  the  private  slide  of  Callie's  writ- 


344  The  Pocket  Measure. 

ing-desk.  There  was  only  that  last  check, 
out  of  which  to  pay  a  month's  rent  and  the 
doctor's  bill,  and  provide  the  hundred  daily 
necessities  of  life,  for  how  long !  I  will  not 
denj7  that  there  was  a  sense  of  terrible  sinking 
in  Mrs.  Spafford's  heart.  She  had  never  longed 
for  money  as  she  did  just  now,  as  she  had  been 
longing,  that  very  afternoon,  because  of  the 
white-faced  darling  in  the  crib,  and  she  had 
never  in  her  life  touched  so  near  to  actual 
poverty  !  Yet  the  first  thing  she  did,  after  she 
took  in  the  entire  situation,  was  to  move  her 
chair  around  the  other  side  of  the  crib,  closer 
to  her  husband's,  and  kiss  his  white  forehead ; 
and  the  first  words  she  spoke  were: 

"  After  all,  Warren,  there  is  nothing  to 
regret.  You  did  just  what  was  right;  indeed, 
there  was  no  opportunity  for  choice ;  you 
could  not  do  otherwise;  and  the  Lord  knows 
all  about  it." 

Thus  it  was  that  the  shadows  in  that  home 
grew  longer  ;  the  days  passed  strangely,  that 
is,  the  first  five  or  six.  '  Warren  took  his 
breakfast  later,  lingered  after  it,  beyond  the 
time  for  family  worship,  cared  tenderly  for  War, 


Measured  by  Trial.  845 

in  a  hundred  ways  restful  alike  to  mother 
and  baby  ;  did  a  dozen  little  things  for  their 
comfort  during  the  day  that  he  had  never 
before  had  time  for ;  then  went  out  on  a  weary 
round  of  calls  in  the  hope  of  finding  some 
where  a  situation,  coming  back  every  night 
a  trifle  more  disheartened  than  he  was  the 
night  before.  It  was  not  the  time  of  year 
when  vacancies  were  plenty  —  if  in  fact  in 
the  over  crowded  city  there  is  ever  such  a 
time.  He  got  the  check  cashed,  with  a  curious 
pitiful  wonderment  as  to  how  or  when  he 
would  get  another,  and  paid  the  rent,  and 
laid  aside  some  that  he  hoped  could  be  kept 
to  give  to  the  doctor,  and  brought  home 
with  him  five  little  gold  dollars  that  he 
showed  after  tea,  to  his  wife. 

"  Oh,  Warren,"  she  said,  understanding 
them  at  once,  "  I  was  wondering  about  them. 
Don't  you  suppose  —  do  you  think  I  mean  — 
would  it  be  wrong  to  use  the  five  dollars 
this  time  ?  We  have  no  income  now,  you 
know,  for  a  little,  and  baby  needs  a  few 
things.  Shall  we  borrow  them  for  this  emer 
gency  ?  " 


346  The  Pocket  Measure. 

"Callie,"  he  said,  and  his  tone  was  low 
and  strangely  tremulous,  though  there  was 
no  reproach  in  it,  "  we  promised  to  swing 
off,  and  trust  Him  for  emergencies." 

"So  we  did.  And  I  am  very  faithless; 
put  them  in  the  box,  Warren ;  indeed,  I  did 
not  mean,  to  steal  the  Lord's  jewels,  I  only 
thought  of  borrowing." 

She  spoke  quickly,  and  had  some  ado  to 
keep  back  the  tears.  But  he  gave  the  shin 
ing  things  to  her,  and  with  her  own  hands 
she  dropped  them  into  the  blue  velvet 
box. 

Before  many  days  they  had  that  which  put 
the  loss  of  the  father's  situation  into  the  back 
ground.  Without  any  question  baby  was 
seriously  worse.  Oh,  the  dark,  dark  days 
which  succeeded  each  other  now !  How  can 
I  tell  you  about  them  ?  Ah  me !  how  many 
hearts  there  are  in  this  world  that  need  no 
telling !  The  father  made  no  more  efforts  to 
find  a  situation ;  indeed,  there  were  hours 
in  which  he  was  able  to  thank  God  that  he 
had  none,  no  duty  to  keep  him  from  minister 
ing  now  to  his  child  and  his  wife  ;  for  one 


Measured  by  Trial.  347 

seemed  to  need  help  almost  as  much  as  the 
other.  His  days  and  nights  were  alike  spent 
in  tireless  watching  and  waiting.  That  one 
word  expresses  to  the  initiated  a  whole  vol 
ume  in  itself;  alert,  helpful  watching,  is 
sometimes  not  so  hard ;  but  the  waiting  for 
what  may,  aye,  apparently  is  coming  —  with 
slow  steps,  indeed,  but  still  coming!  —  that 
is  what  wears  out  human  lives. 

It  was  one  of  those  breathless  summer 
mornings  which  occasionally  followed  breathless 
nights.  Baby  lay  in  a  limp,  almost  lifeless 
heap,  in  the  small  white  crib  ;  too  weak  he 
felt  even  to  smile  an  answer  to  the  wistful 
eyes  bending  over  him.  Neither  father  nor 
mother  had  left  him  for  an  hour  of  rest  dur 
ing  the  night.  Indeed,  there  was  not  a  spot 
in  the  house  in  which  they  could  have  rested 
had  they  tried ;  no  spot  where  they  could 
get  away  from  that  faint  wail.  Sometimes 
it  seemed  to  the  father's  heart  —  when  oc 
casionally  he  closed  his  eyes  for  a  moment 
to  rest  them  —  that  he  should  hear  it  always, 
after  this,  whorever  he  went,  whatever  hap 
pened  !  The  long  summer  night  had  stretched 


348  The  Pocket  Measure. 

its  slow  length  along;  mother  and  father  al 
ternately  walking  up  and  down  the  room 
trying  to  rest  the  tired  baby,  or  sitting  in 
the  large  rocker,  pillowing  him  tenderly  on 
one  arm,  and  gently  fanning  him  with  the 
other.  Now  the  longed  for  morning  had  come 
at  last,  and,  as  they  looked  at  the  pinched 
features  of  the  child,  and  then  at  each  other, 
they  needed  not  words  with  which  to  say 
that  the  night  had  made  sad  ravages.  It 
was  plain  that  he  had  failed  much.  For  the 
first  time  since  his  sickness  they  did  not 
attempt  going  through  with  the  form  of  a 
breakfast ;  that  much,  Warren  Spafford  had 
regularly  insisted  on ;  indeed,  he  had  several 
times  made  the  fragrant  cup  of  coffee  himself, 
brought  it  with  his  own  hands  to  his  wife, 
and  with  tender  firmness  insisted  on  her  drink 
ing  it.  This  morning  he  sat  almost  as  limp 
and  wearied-looking  as  the  baby  before  him, 
making  no  suggestions  in  regard  to  food  or 
rest.  The  awful  depression  of  disappointment 
and  foreboding  was  upon  him. 

Mrs.    Spafford     turned    to     him  at    last,    her 
eyes   heavy,  less    with    weariness  than  fear : 


Measured  ly  Trial.  349 

"  Warren,  don't  you  think  you  might  find 
the  doctor  before  he  starts  on  his  daily  round, 
and  get  him  to  come  earlier ;  Don't  you 
think  there  may  be  need  of  it  ?  " 

"I  am  afraid  there  is,"  he  spoke  in  a 
low,  hopeless  tone. 

It  was  evident  to  her  that  he  had  lost  all 
heart.  Her  own  began  to  give  great  throbs 
of  pain,  but  she  struggled  for  composure. 
For  baby's  sake  she  must  not  yield  now. 
She  might  soon  have  plenty  of  time  for  tears 
—  when  she  had  empty  arms ! 

Warren  rose  at  once.  "I  will  try  for  it," 
he  said,  still  listlessly ;  and  he  sought  for 
his  hat  and  went  away,  neither  of  them 
remembering  to  break  their  long  night's 
fast. 

Meantime,  however,  there  had  come  an 
other  presence  into  the  house.  Mrs.  Evans 
had  returned  home  but  the  night  before ; 
had  run  over  immediately  to  see  how  her 
friends  were,  and  knew  all  about  the  great 
fear  that  enthralled  them.  She  came  quickly 
now  into  the  kitchen  uninvited,  as  her  kitchen 
had  been  entered  once.  She  moved  with 


350  The  Pocket  Measure. 

quiet  yet  skillful  step  around  the  small  domain 
where  the  neatness  of  desolation  reigned. 
Everything  was  in  the  sort  of  order  that  be 
tokens  that  very  little  is  being  used  in  that 
region.  Skillfully  she  built  up  the  fire  in 
the  little  stove ;  rapid  movements  to  and 
fro;  one  journey  home,  and  just  as  Mr.  Spaf- 
ford  entered  the  front  door,  she  pushed  open 
the  door  of  the  little  parlor  which  had  long 
since  been  converted  into  a  down -stairs 
nursery. 

"  I  found  him,"  Warren  said ;  "  he  says  he 
will  try  to  be  here  in  half  an  hour." 

Then  Mrs.  Evans  ;  "  Go  right  into  the  dining- 
room,  dear,  you  and  Mr.  Spafford,  and  eat  a 
mouthful  of  breakfast  ;  you  will  find  it  all 
ready.  Oh,  yes,  you  must,  for  baby's  sake, 
you  know.  He  will  need  strong  arms  and  a 
great  deal  of  care  to-day.  He  is  sleeping 
quietly  now,  isn't  he  ?  Really  resting,  perhaps. 
I  will  sit  beside  him  and  watch  every  move 
ment.  G-o,  Mrs.  Spafford,  because  it  is  right, 
you  know." 

What  winning  sweetness  there  was  in  her 
voice.  And  a  certain  quiet  persistence  of 


Measured  l>y  Trial. 


manner  that  carried  a  sort  of  strength  to  the 
tired  hearts  of  father  and  mother. 

"  She  is  right,  Gallic,"  Warren  said,  trying 
to  rouse  from  bis  lethargy,  "  right  and  thought 
ful.  Don't  let  us  be  ungrateful.  Come." 

Now  you  know  just  how  this  suggestion 
sounded  to  Mrs.  Spafford.  How  utterly  loath 
some  to  her  was  the  idea  of  food.  How  much 
she  longed  to  be  allowed  to  sit  by  her  baby's 
side  just  as  long  as  she  could.  Yet  she  strug 
gled  with  all  this  that  she  knew  was  senti 
ment,  and  arose  and  went  out  quietly  to  the 
dining-room.  How  pretty  it  looked  on  this 
fair  morning.  Mrs.  Evans  had  even  stopped 
to  pick  three  or  four  fresh  roses  just  budding 
into  bloom,  and  had  placed  them  in  a  tiny 
vase  beside  Mrs.  Spafford's  plate.  The  table 
was  set  for  two,  with  much  daintier  care  than 
had  been  bestowed  on  it  of  late.  The  very 
freshness  of  the  napkins  had  a  restful  look  to 
the  matron's  weary  eyes.  There  was  a  plate 
of  delicately,  carefully  made  toast,  and  a  tiny 
bit  of  steak,  broiled  to  a  nicety,  just  as  Mrs. 
Evans,  thanks  to  her  teacher,  had  long  known 
how  to  broil.  No  wonder  that  it  all  reminded 


352  The  Pocket  Measure. 

Mrs.  Spafford  of  her  afternoon  invasion  into 
the  kitchen  across  the  way.  Her  husband 
was  evidently  thinking  of  it,  too  : 

" '  For  thou  shalt  find  it  after  many  days, ' ' 
he  quoted  to  her,  with  a  meaning  smile,  and 
then,  as  she  tried  to  give  the  answering  smile, 
the  very  effort  to  do  so  brought  the  tears,  and 
she  laid  her  head  on  her  husband's  shoulder 
and  sobbed  outright.  It  was  better  to,  than 
to  try  to  bear  that  heavy  strain  any  longer. 

"  Come,"  he  said,  after  a  moment  of  tender 
silence,  "you  are  to  show  your  appreciation 
of  this  thoughtful  kindness,  and  eat  some  break 
fast  now ;  it  will  strengthen  you  for  the  day." 
He  poured  her  coffee,  prepared  it  carefully, 
cut  small  bits  of  the  tender  steak  for  her,  as 
if  she  had  been  a  child,  and  although  she  felt 
perfectly  confident  that  the  very  first  mouth 
ful  would  choke  her,  she  sat  down  and  ate  bits 
of  toast  and  steak  and  swallows  of  hot  coffee, 
and  rose  up  refreshed.  So  determined  are 
these  bodies  of  ours  to  assert  their  rights,  no 
matter  what  the  spirit  is  being  called  upon  to 
endure. 

The  doctor  came  promptly  as  he  had  prom- 


Measured  by  Trial.  353 

ised ;  but  it  was  evident  to  both  father  and 
mother  that  he  saw  small  need  for  his  coining ; 
rather,  he  stood  powerless  before  the  need  that 
he  felt  himself  unable  to  supply.  He  was  kind 
and  grave,  as  sympathetic  as  one  could  expect 
a  doctor  to  be,  who  sometimes  stood  many 
times  a  day  by  the  fair  cribs  of  little  babies 
who  were  slipping  away  from  life. 

"  The  fact  is,"  and  he  drew  on  his  gloves  as 
he  said  it,  "  Nature  will  have  to  do  all  that 
can  be  done  for  your  child.  He  may  rally. 
I  have  seen  children  lower  than  he  pull  through 
at  last.  The  vitality  of  these  little  creatures 
is  something  to  wonder  at  —  stand  in  awe 
before,  in  fact.  There  is  one  thing  I  should 
like  to  see  tried  ;  if  you  could  go  to  the  sea 
shore  with  him,  it  might  do.  Sea  air  works 
miracles  sometimes  in  cases  like  these ;  and, 
indeed,  a  change  of  air  is  a  most  helpful  thing. 
You  may  continue  the  medicine  as  before. 
I'll  try  to  call  this  afternoon.  We  are  likely 
to  have  a  very  sultry  day,  I  think.  Good 
morning."  And  this  was  all.  And  the  dark- 
colored,  uice-fiiting  gloves  were  on  now  and 
buttoned,  and  he  was  gone. 


854  The  Pocket  Measure. 

All  their  hopes  went  out  with  him.  They 
sat  in  almost  stupefied  silence,  looking,  not  at 
each  other,  nor  at  the  buby,  but  at  nothing  — 
trying,  indeed,  to  look  the  future  in  the  face. 
Go  to  the  seashore !  To  be  sure,  it  was  not 
very  far  away,  less  than  half  a  day's  ride  on 
the  cars  would  bring  them  within  the  sound  of 
its  eternal  roar ;  but  for  all  practical  purposes, 
so  far  as  they  were  concerned,  it  might  as  well 
have  been  a  thousand  miles  away.  Mrs.  Spaf- 
ford's  eyes  sought  the  jewel  case  on  the  mantel, 
There  were  three  little  gleaming  dollars  within, 
and  she  knew  as  well  as  though  she  could  see 
inside  her  husband's  pocket,  that  those  and  a 
few  quarters  were  all  the  money  they  had  in 
the  world.  Two  dollars  of  the  gold  she  had 
paid  out  mechanically  but  a  few  days  before, 
when  the  church  collector  called.  She  thought 
of  them  now,  thought  of  the  dollars  that 
had  lain  from  time  to  time  within  its  silken 
folds.  One  hundred  and  fifty,  more  than 
that,  indeed,  during  the  past  two  years.  "  We 
could  take  him  to  the  seaside  if  we  had  that." 
She  did  not  speak  the  words  .even  to  her  heart; 
they  just  flitted  through  her  mind,  and  there 


Measured  by  Trial.  355 

was  such  a  touch  of  bitterness  in  them  that  it 
startled  her.  Still,  how  was  she  to  help  won 
dering  whether  the  money  could  possibly  have 
done  anybody  so  much  good  as  it  would  be  to 
save  her  darling  ? 

"  Oh,  Warren ! '  she  said,  and  her  voice 
sounded  like  a  wail,  "  couldn't  we  borrow  that 
money,  that  in  the  box,  and  I  take  it  and  go 
a  little  way  with  baby  ?  He  said,  you  know, 
that  a  very  slight  change  sometimes  did  great 
good ! " 

"  My  poor  dear  wife.  Don't  you  remember 
that  what  is  there  would  hardly  take  you  to 
the  depot  in  a  carriage  such  as  it  would  be 
necessary  to  have?"  .  ' 

Silence  for  a  few  minutes ;  then  she  spoke  in 
tones  that  were  almost  desperate  : 

"Warren,  I  could  leg  for  the  sake  of  our 
child." 

"  Darling,  I  would  beg,  if  I  knew  which  way 
to  turn.  Let  us  think ;  no,  dear  Gallic,  let  us 
beg  of  our  Father,  our  great  rich  Father.  He 
loves  our  child  as  even  we  can  not;  he  will 
show  us  the  very  best  to  do.  Let  us  come  right 


356  The  Pocket  Measure, 

to  him  as  children  who  trust  him,  and  beg  him 
to  show  us  the  way  to  step." 

Almost  before  the  sentence  was  finished  they 
were  on  their  knees.  They  were  alone  again. 
Mrs.  Evans  had  packed  the  dishes  in  a  scarcely 
orderly  pile  and  gone  swiftly  away,  not  pausing 
even  to  offer  to  sit  with  baby  a  moment  longer 
or  to  inquire  what  else  she  could  do.  It  had 
occurred  to  both  husband  and  wife  to  wonder 
silently  over  the  suddenness  of  her  departure  ; 
then  each  had  decided  that  some  home  duty 
must  have  needed  immediate  attention.  She 
haa  been  long  absent.  Several  times  since  she 
went  had  the  bell  rung  —  some  kind-hearted 
neighbor  had  sent  to  inquire  after  baby's 
health ;  the  girls,  too,  had  rung  at  the  door, 
and.  inquired  and  offered  help,  "  if  there  was 
anything  they  could  do,"  and  gojie  their  ways. 
People  were  kind,  but  it  was  a  city,  where  even 
neighbors  were  not  specially  neighborly,  and 
the  baby  had  been  long  sick,  and  none  realized 
how  sick  he  was,  nor  how  much  in  need  of  help 
the  young  couple  stood.  None  but  Mrs.  Evans, 
and  she  had  gone  to  her  own  cares.  So  they 
were  alone.  Aaid  yet  not  alone ;  surely  the 


Measured  by  Trial.  357 

Angel  of  the  Covenant  was  with  them  during 
that  prayer.  Mrs.  Spafford  had  often  heard 
her  husband  pray,  yet  the  intensity  of  feeling, 
the  perfect  abandon  of  self,  the  overwhelming 
cry  to  be  hidden  from  this  awful  storm  that 
threatened  them,  to  be  held  in  the  Everlasting 
Arms,  was  something  that  hushed  her  sobs,  and 
almost  compelled  her  to  lay  hold  with  strong 
faith  upon  the  Arm  of  Power.  They  were  both 
entirely  calmed  when  they  rose  up. 

"  Darling,"  her  husband  asked,  as  he  held 
her  with  his  arm  for  a  minute,  "  Don't  you 
believe,  don't  you  know  that  he  will  bring  to 
pass  for  us  that  which  is  best  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  she  said,  quietly ;  and  at  that  mo 
ment  the  door  bell  rang  again,  a  quick,  em 
phatic  peal. 


CHAPTER    XXI. 

THE    ANSWER. 

is  a  note  for  you,  Callie,"  Mr. 
Spafford  said,  as  he  returned  from 
answering  the  loud  peal  of  the  bell. 
"  The  man  who  brought  it  is  waiting  for  an 
answer." 

"Read  it,  please,"  his  wife  said.  She  was 
on  her  knees  beside  the  crib,  bending  over  her 
baby.  A  note  from  some  down-town  neighbor 
expressing  sympathy  —  this  was  what  she 
thought;  it  was  very  kind,  but  the  mother 
was  in  the  mood  just  then  to  feel  that  human 
sympathy  was  a  very  little  thing ;  some  day 
she  might  be  able  to  thank  the  writer  for 
kind  words  ;  she  did  not  think  that  she  wanted 
353 


The  Answer.  359 

to  take  time  from  her  baby  to  read  them  now. 
Indeed  she  expressed  as  much,  while  her 
husband  was  unfolding  the  sheet.  "Did  you 
say  he  was  waiting  for  an  answer?  I  can 
not  answer  notes  now!" 
Then  he  read: 

"My  Dear  Mrs.  Spafford: 

I  have  but  this  moment  heard  of  your  trouble  ;  we  are 
on  the  eve  of  departure  for  our  seaside  house ;  expect  to 
take  the  12:20  train  ;  I  send  the  carriage  with  this,  and, 
my  dear  friend,  do  you  and  your  husband  with  all  speed, 
get  into  it  with  that  dear  baby  and  come  to  us.  I  have 
known  sea  air  to  work  marvellous  transformations  in  baby 
lives.  There  is  no  time  to  lose  in  preparation  ;  I  would 
not,  if  I  were  you,  delay  one  hour.  We  .have  a  large  cot 
tage,  and  ample  accommodations  for  you  all ;  and  no  more 
desirable  spot  could  be  found  for  a  sick  baby.  Dick,  our 
coachman,  the  bearer  of  this,  is  entirely  reliable,  and  will 
drive  you  with  the  greatest  care  to  the  train,  where  we 
will  join  you.  The  journey  is  a  short  one.  Do  not  wait 
to  do  any  packing ;  Mrs.  Evans  (through  whom  I  learned 
just  now  of  your  great  anxiety)  will  pack  a  trunk  with 
whatever  you  can  need,  and  express  to  you  promptly. 
Meantime  she  is  down  town  purchasing,  under  my  direc 
tion,  sundry  articles  which  I  know  to  be  needful  to  the 
comfort  of  sick  babies  who  travel ; '  I  am  the  mother  of 
five  children ;  I  know  all  about  it.  My  dear  i'iends,  I 


360  The  Pocket  Measure. 

feel  so  sure  of  your  remembering  that  you  are  my  brother 
and  sister,  that  I  do  not  imagine  you  as  hesitating  for  a 
moment  on  the  score  of  false  pride.  Our  Father  has 
entrusted  me  with  ample  means  to  pay  all  expenses  of 
every  sort,  and  directed  me  to  take  you,  my  dear  kindred 
in  Christ,  under  my  care.  I  confidently  expect  to  see  you, 
for  I  know  I  am  following  the  lead  of  Him  who  guides 
you  and  me. 

"  Mrs.  Evans  bade  me  say  that  you  are  only  to  throw 
together  what  may  be  immediately  needed  for  baby's 
comfort ;  bring  your  keys  with  you  to  the  Twenty-third 
Street  Depot ;  she  will  meet  you  there,  take  your  direc 
tions,  and  attend  to  whatever  may  need  attention  in  your 
home.  Yours  in  great  haste, 

''  HELEN  V.  TEMPLE." 

Long  before  he  had  finished  reading  this 
remarkable  letter,  Mr  Spafford's  voice  had 
broken,  and  his  eyes  were  so  dim  with  tears 
that  he  could  scarcely  make  out  the  words. 
The  paper  fluttered  to  the  floor  at  last  from 
his  hands,  and,  voice  too  much  beyond  his 
control  to  check  its  tremble,  yet  spoke  with 
intense  feeling : 

"  Before  they  call,  I  will  answer ;  and 
while  they  are  yet  speaking  I  will  hear." 

As  for  Mrs.  Spafford,  she  had  one  of  those 
merciful  fits  of  really  unnatural  self-control 


The  Answer.  361 

come  over  her  at  that  moment;  the  intensely 
practical  part  of  her  nature  rose  to  meet  the 
strain,  and  served  her  well.  She  rose  up 
from  the  crib,  all  the  pallor  gone  from  her 
face,  and  spoke  in  a  clear,  positive  voice : 

"Warren,  the  baby's  clothes,  in  the  middle 
drawer,  you  know  —  tumble  them  into  the 
large  valise ;  his  little  cap  and  blankets  are 
on  the  shelf  in  the  clothes-press,  in  the  blue 
box ;  my  hat  lies  on  the  shelf,  and  my  sack 
is  hanging  beside  it.  Is  that  ten  o'clock? 
There  is  no  time  to  lose  !  Oh,  Warren  ! " 

All  the  pent-up  emotion,  that  if  she  had 
had  time  might  have  found  expression,  let 
itself  out  in  those  two  words;  then  she  lifted 
her  sleeping  baby  in  her  arms,  and  made 
swift,  yet  tender,  preparation  for  a  journey. 
I  call  you  to  witness  to  the  true  nobility  of 
soul  apparent  in  these  two,  that  not  a  mo 
mentary  thought  of  shrinking  back  from  the 
offered  hand,  stretched  out  with  such  lavish 
help,  occurred  to  either  of  them.  They  were 
simply  above  shrinking  away  from  help,  sorely 
needed,  and  royally  offered. 

Mrs.    Temple's   manner    of     receiving    them 


362  The  Pocket  Measure. 

at  the  depot  was  perfect.  A  quick,  tender 
clasp  of  the  hand,  given  to  Mrs.  Spafford,  and 
low-toned  words : 

"  I  am  so  glad  you  are  here  in  time  ;  we  need 
have  no  confusion.  He  looks  very  quiet, 
doesn't  he  ?  The  ride  down  has  not  disturbed 
him ;  I  have  great  hope  of  him ;  change  of 
air  is  just  what  he  needs.  Mr.  Spafford  sup 
pose  you  seat  us  in  the  car,  while  my  husband 
is  looking  after  tickets.  Your  wife  will  be 
able  to  get  a  little  rest  in  the  cars  I  think." 

Not  a  moment's  space  did  she  leave  for 
any  attempt  at  thanks.  On  the  contrary  she 
simply,  and  in  a  most  natural  manner,  ignored 
any  occasion  for  them,  and  gave  herself  en 
tirely  to  the  arrangement  of  details  for  the 
journey.  Mrs.  Evans  came,  at  the  last  moment, 
flushed  and  breathless  with  the  haste  she 
had  made,  and  deposited  sundry  packages  on 
the  seat  beside  Mrs.  Temple,  received  from 
Mr.  Spafford  the  keys,  and  a  few  hurried 
words  of  explanation,  and  the  bell  rang  and 
the  whistle  blew,  and  they  were  off!  Even 
then  Mrs.  Temple  contrived  to  keep  their 
thoughts  and  her  own  absorbed  by  the  sick 


The  Answer.  363 

child ;  she  was  alert  and  fertile  in  her  sug 
gestions  and  arrangements  for  his  comfort; 
and  he  showed  his  appreciation  of  her  thought- 
fulness  by  continuing  his  quiet  sleep;  so  much 
more  like  rest  than  anything  he  had  taken 
for  days. 

Oh,  you  don't  know,  and  the  worst  of  it 
is  I  cannot  describe  to  you,  how  that  upper 
room,  in  which  before  night  she  was  domiciled, 
seemed  to  Mrs.  Spafford  !  A  large  ba}r-windowed 
chamber,  delicately  tinted  walls ;  casement 
windows  reaching  from  floor  to  ceiling,  hung 
with  simple  muslin  curtains ;  India  matting 
on  the  floor ;  the  lightest  and  simplest  of  cot 
tage  furniture ;  everything  pure,  tasteful,  rest 
ful.  The  windows  were  set  open  toward 
the  sunset,  and  just  before  her  there  spread 
out  that  wonderful  sight,  of  which  some 
e}res  never  tire,  the  white  sanded-beach,  washed 
forever  by  the  ceaseless  waves.  She  sat  ami 
listened  to  them,  as  they  rolled,  one  after 
another,  one  after  another,  always  and  alvvuvs 
one  after  another,  up  and  down  the  sands ! 
She  heard  the  steady  monotone  of  their  voices 
as  they  went  on  and  OD,  in  their  tireless  work ; 


864  The  Pocket  Measure. 

she  drank  in  the  salt  air;  she  watched  tlw 
curtains  sway  back  and  forth  in  the  breeze ; 
she  watched  the  baby  in  the  crib,  lying  quiet, 
sleeping,  breathing  in  like  herself,  the  air  that, 
it  seemed  to  her,  must  be  health-giving;  she 
thought  of  the  breathless  room  where  they 
had  spent  but  the  night  before;  she  remem 
bered  just  how  breathless  it  must  be  there 
at  this  moment,  and  her  heart  went  out  in 
unspeakable  gratitude  toward  those  who  had 
of  their  abundance  come  to  her  in  her  sore 
need ;  to  Him  who  had  put  it  into  the 
hearts  of  his  children  to  do  this  blessed  thing. 
The  door  swung  softly  on  its  hinges,  and 
Mrs.  Temple  entered,  her  face  radiant  with 
some  new  satisfaction;  only  to  look  at  it  was 
like  breathing  fresh  hope  into  the  mother's 
heart. 

"Don't  you  think,  Dr.  Everett  is  here!"  she 
said,  speaking  eagerly.  "  He  has  just  sent  in 
his  card,  and  asked  if  he  could  serve  us  in  any 
way ;  he  is  an  old  friend.  I  took  the  liberty 
of  sending  word  for  him  to  call  on  us  immedi 
ately  ;  I  knew  you  would  like  to  have  him  see 
baby." 


The  Answer.  365 

Now  Dr.  Everett  was  a  name  well-known  to 
Mrs.  Spafford.  He  came  from  the  same  city 
as  themselves,  arid  only  that  very  morning 
when  she  sat  with  such  a  heavy  heart  looking 
down  at  her  baby,  after  her  physician  had 
buttoned  his  gloves  and  departed,  she  had  said 
to  herself :  "  If  I  had  only  asked  him  to  bring 
Dr.  Everett  with  him !  If  I  had  only  asked 
Warren  to  go  for  Dr.  Everett  this  morning! 
What  do  I  care  how  much  he  charges  to«come 
away  up  here.  I  could  pay  him  in  some  way  ; 
I  could  beg  it."  Then  she  remembered,  with 
another  dull  thud  at  her  heart,  that  she  had 
heard  him  bemoaned  as  out  of  town.  Now, 
barely  a  day  intervening,  here  was  she  out  of 
town,  too,  by  the  side  of  the  life-giving  sea, 
and,  behold,  the  great  doctor  was  within  reach  ! 
Not  only  that,  but  was  coming  that  evening  to 
see  her  bab}T !  Was  riot  her  cup  of  mercy 
full? 

Isn't  it  a  curious  thing  that  histories  which 
cover  weeks  of  time  to  live  can  be  grouped 
and  put  into  a  half-hour's  story?  The  weeks 
at  the  seaside  which  followed  this  first  evening 
when  Mrs.  Spafford  sat  and  watched  the  sun 


366  The  Pocket  Measure. 

dip  down  beneath  the  waves  were  weeks,  the 
memory  of  which  she  will  carry  forever,  even 
into  heaven.  So  full  of  sweet,  constant,  merci 
ful,  loving  kindness  were  they.  Do  you  think 
that  Mrs.  Temple's  kindness  exhausted  itself 
in  the  first  day's  effort?  It  is  not  so;  each 
passing  day  showed  her  as  a  marvel  of  thought 
ful,  unselfish  wisdom.  Though tfulness  shown 
in  ways  v  that  are  easy  to  feel,  but  very  hard  to 
tell.  There  was  an  acceptance  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Spafford  as  her  guests  for  the  season  in  a 
sort  of  matter-of-course  manner.  She  made 
them  feel  free  to  come  and  go,  to  take  and 
receive,  as  they  might  have  felt  in  the  home 
of  an  actual  sister ;  ajre,  as  it  is  not  possible 
always  to  feel,  even  with  sisters.  She  made 
herself  one  with  them  in  their  care  and  anx- 
iet}r.  She  almost  seemed  to  lift  half  the  bur 
den  from  them  and  bear  it  herself. 

Dr.  Everett  made  his  call  and  lingered  be 
yond  the  time  that  his  professional  services 
were  required,  giving  rather  the  care  of  a 
skilled  nurse.  He  spoke  hopefully,  not  too 
hopefully,  because  they,  who  knew  so  well  on 
what  a  thread  the  baby's  life  hung,  would  not 


The  Answer.  367 

have  been  able  to  trust  an  emphatic  assurance 
of  safety  ;  but  he  unbent  from  his  grave  pro 
fessional  air,  and  expressed  as  well  as  felt  sym 
pathy,  and  promised  to  come  early  in  the  morn 
ing,  and  came  very  early,  and  came  several 
times  during  the  day,  and  lingered  as  he  could 
not  have  done  had  he  been  at  home  pressed 
with  care.  All  this  gave  the  Spaffords  a  certain 
relieved  feeling  that  their  baby  was  not  merely 
one  of  the  many  sick  and  suffering  babies,  but 
a  special  object  of  the  skillful  physician's  care. 
The  mother  expressed  something  of  this  feeling 
to  Mrs.  Temple  one  evening,  and  the  manner 
in  which  that  lady  answered  gave  her  a  little 
lesson  which  she  hugged  to  her  heart  and  never 
forgot. 

"  I  have  often  thought,"  said  the  elder  lady, 
a  touch  of  sadness  in  her  voice,  "  how  hard  it 
must  be  for  the  Great  Physician  to  bear  with 
us  in  our  determination  to  think  of  his  love 
and  care  for  us  as  only  a  piece  of  that  which 
he  bears  for  the  great  multitude,  instead  of 
individualizing  it  as  he  constantly  teaches  us  to 
do,  arid  accepting  him  as  caring  for  us  with 
even  more  than  the  exclusive  tenderness  of 


368  The  Pocket  Measure. 

love  which  we  give  to  our  own.  Of  course  it 
is  only  a  seeming  with  human  physicians, 
they  must  exclude  us  when  they  go  from  us 
to  others,  and  think  only  of  them;  but  the 
heart  of  Christ,  you  know,  is  for  each,  as  if 
each  were  alone  in  all  the  world  the  object 
of  His  care." 

Mrs.  Spafford  had  no  answer  to  make 
for  a  moment,  and  when  she  spoke  she  only 
said,  "  Thank  you,"  but  the  words  were  ac 
companied  by  a  look  which  the  other  lady 
understood.  Thenceforth,  the  young  mother 
thought  of  Christ  as  bending  over  her  baby 
in  his  crib  exactly  as  though  there  were  no 
other  baby  on  earth  to  claim  His  love  and 
skill,  and  her  heart  was  wonderfully  comforted. 
Still,  she  thanked  Him  daily  for  the  human 
help  and  comfort  afforded  through  Dr.  Everett. 
As  the  days  passed,  and  he  came  and  went, 
she  grew  to  think  of  him  as  a  personal  friend. 
She  looked  back  often  upon  that  first  evening 
of  his  coming,  and  smiled  over  her  folly,  and 
realized  that  it  was  but  the  vagary  of  an 
excited  bruin  to  be  so  glad,  so  very  glad,  that 
he  wore  no  gloves,  which  he  drew  on  and 


The  Answer.  369 

buttoned,  as  he  pronounced  in  slow,  quiet 
words,  what  seemed  like  a  death-knell  to 
her  hopes.  How  foolish  she  was!  Why  did 
she  care  for  gloves?  What  difference  did  it 
make  how  slow]y  the  doctor  drew  them  on, 
how  carefully  he  buttoned  them  ?  Yet  she 
found  that  the  scene  with  just  those  little 
accessaries  had  photographed  itself  on  her 
brain,  and  all  the  darkness  of  that  breathless 
morning  came  back  to  her,  associated  with  that 
doctor  standing  beside  her  baby's  crib,  button 
ing  those  gloves.  Well,  as  the  days  went 
by,  the  steady  kindness  of  those  ministering 
never  failed.  Among  Mrs.  Temple's  other 
thoughtful  ways,  there  had  been  introduced 
to  the  household  a  middle-aged,  calm-faced, 
low-voiced  woman,  who  came  in  noiseless 
slippers  and  cool,  dark  dress,  and  the  first 
time  she  lifted  the  baby  in  her  arms  she 
cooed  to  him  in  so  motherly  a  fashion  that 
he  laid  his  tired  little  head  'down  on  her 
shoulder  and  went  to  sleep.  Then  Dr. 
Everett,  when  he  came,  greeted  her  with  a 
pleased  face,  and  a  shake  of  the  hand,  and 


370  The  Pocket  Measure. 

stepped  to  the  piazza  after  Mrs.  Spafford  to 
say  to  her : 

"I  see  you  have  Mrs.  Philbrick  here.  My 
dear  madam,  she  is  worth  more  to  a  sick  baby 
than  forty  doctors,  or  even  than  a  mother 
who  is  tired  as  you.  I  recommend  you  to 
go  to  bed  and  slaep  all  night.  Baby  is  safe 
in  her  hands,  for  she  is  the  wisest  and  ten- 
derest  nurse  I  know." 

There  had  been  no  talk  about  a  nurse,  no 
nervous  heart-rending  discussion  about  sub 
stituting  some  other  care  for  the  worn  yet 
tireless  mother's ;  but  Mrs.  Philbrick  stayed. 

"  She  is  an  old  friend  of  the  family,  and 
has  come  to  spend  a  few  days  with  us,"  was 
Mrs.  Temple's  explanation;  and  she  was  al 
ways  hovering  within  call,  always  motioning 
the  mother  to  lie  down  on  the  bed  and  let 
herself  be  covered  with  the  baby's  blanket  or 
a  light  shawl,  anything  that  would  not  look  as 
though  she  had  given  up  the  baby  and  suc 
cumbed  to  fatigue,  and  the  rests  that  she  took 
thus  were  many  and  life-giving.  Also  baby, 
with  the  rare  wisdom  common  to  his  age, 
put  in  his  powerful  plea  for  resting  both 


The  Answer.  371 

father  and  mother,  by  taking  the  most  ob 
stinate  fancy  to  nurse  Philbrick,  and  waiting 
for  her  when  she  disappeared  from  sight.  So, 
gradually  and  quietly,  she  came  to  be  the  re 
cognized  nurse ;  and  the  mother  was  learning 
to  turn  away  from  the  crib  with  a  great, 
deep  sigh  of  restfulness,  knowing  that  the 
weight  of  care  was  being  lifted. 

Meantime,  do  you  think  this  young  couple, 
with  not  a  penny  in  their  purse,  and  no  visible 
means  of  earning  one,  were  able  to  keep  the 
bewildering  future  entirely  from  their  thoughts  ? 
Yes,  they  were ;  almost  entirely.  But  alas ! 
that  I  should  have  to  admit  that  the  reason 
was  not  because  of  their  conquering  faith,  but 
because  all  these  thoughts  were  pushed  out  by 
a  present  and  absorbing  anxiety.  They  could 
not  shut  their  eyes  to  the  fact  that,  with  all 
the  advantages  of  sea  air  and  Dr.  Everett  and 
nurse  Philbrick,  it  was  a  fierce  fight  between 
life  and  death  that  was  being  waged  over  that 
one  little  baby.  Ever  present  before  them  was 
the  question ;  "  How  will  it  end  ? "  They 
bore  up  wonderfully  well ;  they  made  brave 
efforts  to  sustain  each  other,  to  appear  grate- 


372  The  Pocket  Measure. 

ful,  and  hopeful,  and  in  a  sense  at  rest ;  but 
they  did  not  trust  themselves  to  any  confi 
dential  talks,  to  any  hints  as  to  what  might 
be  ;  they  just  watched  and  waited. 

It  was  at  the  close  of  a  long,  bright  day, 
nearly  three  weeks  since  they  first  came  to  their 
seaside  retreat.  An  eventful  day  it  had  been. 
Baby  Warren  had  slept  quietly  through  the 
night,  had  awakened  in  the  morning,  his  face 
bright  with  smiles,  .had  sat  up  in  nurse  Phil- 
brick's  arms  and  played  a  little  in  the  old 
fashion,  had  taken  his  cream  with  a  relish  un 
known  for  many  a  day  ;  and  the  mother  watch 
ing  him,  felt  that  she  had  surely  a  right  to  let 
it  into  her  heart  that  he  was  genuinely,  hope 
fully  better.  All  through  the  day  he  had 
sustained  this  hope,  returning  to  many  of  his 
pretty  baby  ways  that  they  had  thought  laid 
aside  forever.  The  doctor  had  spoken  not 
only  cheerfully,  but  almost  gleefully,  in  his 
morning  call,  and  when  he  came  again  in  the 
afternoon,  had  said,  as  he  arose  to  go : 

"  Well,  friends,  my  unusually  long  play  day 
is  over,  and  I  must  go  back  to  the  city  to-mor 
row  morning.  I  have  delayed  for  several 


The  Answer.  373 

days,  in  order  to  have  the  pleasure  of  saying 
to  you,  madam,  that  I  feel  perfectly  safe  in 
leaving  this  young  man  now  in  your  and  Mrs. 
Philbrick's  hands.  1  don't  think  he  will  need 
a  physician's  care  any  longer." 

Then  I  think  the  light  on  Mrs.  Spafford's 
face  went  a  great  way  toward  paying  the  doc 
tor.  There  had  been  talk  after  that,  much  of 
it,  of  course.  Careful  directions  given,  earnest 
gratitude  expressed,  and  more  than  a  hint  of 
the  strong  feeling  that  could  never  be  expressed 
in  words,  and  then  the  doctor  had  gone  away, 
richer  by  far  than  when  he  came,  for  he  carried 
a  weight  of  gratitude  from  two  full  hearts, 
and  he  would  be  enriched  by  their  prayers,  so 
long  as  they  lived  to  pray.  It  was  just  at  even 
ing  and  they  were  alone.  War  had  given 
his  last  touch  of  exqusite  joy. to  the  full  day 
by  playing  for  a  little  in  the  old-time,  rollick 
ing  fashion  with  his  father's  beard,  the  inde 
scribable  little  coo  in  his  happy  voice  speaking 
as  plainly  of  returning  health  and  strength  as 
words  could  have  done  ;  then  he  had  gone  to 
sleep. 

"  Gallic,  see  here  !  "   her  husband  said,  turn- 


374  The  Pocket  Measure. 

ing  aside  from  the  crib,  where  both  had  been 
lingering,  and  putting  a  paper  in  her  hand, 
which,  by  the  sudden  paleness  that  spread  over 
her  face,  he  knew  she  recognized  as  a  doctor's 
bill.  There  it  was,  a  long,  long  list  of  visits 
from  one  of  the  most  eminent  physicians  in  a 
great  city.  But  the  last  line  read  — 

"Received  payment  ('good  measure,  pressed  down 
and  running  over '). 

"  LEONARD  EVERETT." 

"  Oh,  Warren  !  "  Mrs.  Spafford  said,  and  then 
this  crowning  act  in  their  stream  of  mercies 
brought  for  the  first  time  a  rush  of  tears.  "  I 
have  not  cried  before  since  we  left  home,"  she 
said,  crying  and  laughing  both  in  one  as  she 
spoke. 

They  showed  it  to  Mrs.  Temple,  that  care 
fully  receipted  bill,  and,  as  they  talked  together 
of  the  doctor's  skill  and  kindness,  Mrs.  Spafford 
said: 

"  But  the  joy  is  not  all  ours.  I  think  Mrs. 
Temple,  it  must  be  glorious  to  have  money,  to 
be  able  to  do  royal  things,  such  as  you  and 
Dr.  Everett  are  doing." 


The  Answer.  375 

And  Mrs.  Temple,  with  her  hand  resting  on 
the  }Tounger  woman's  head,  made  answer : 

"  Hush,  dear,  we  have  no  money ;  it  is  all 
His.  We  are  but  stewards.  Dr.  Everett 
recognizes  the  kinship.  Have  we  not  all  one 
^Father?" 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

MEASURING   HUMAN   INFLUENCE  I 

ITH  careful  tact  did  Mrs.  Temple  watch 
for  just  the  right  opportunity  for  check 
ing  any  restiveness  in  the  heart  of  her 
guests.  She  realized  that,  as  their  minds  re 
acted  from  the  heavy  strain  which  had  been 
upon  them  so  long,  the  sense  of  dependence 
and  poverty  would  assert  itself,  and  tempt  them 
to  think  of  themselves  as  intruders.  It  was  at 
the  close  of  a  lovely  summer  day,  that  they  sat 
on  the  piazza  which  commanded  the  finest  view 
of  the  ocean,  and  discussed  the  future.  Mr. 
Spafford  himself  opened  the  way,  by  remark 
ing  that  it  must  have  been  a  very  warm  day  in 
the  city.  . 

"  Yes,"  said  Mrs.  Temple,  "  and  that  reminds 
376 


Measuring  Human  Influence.          377 

me  of  something  over  which  I  have  been  wor 
rying  a  little.  You  will  surely  not  think  of 
taking  baby  back  to  the  city  until  summer  has 
entirely  spent  itself,  will  you  ?  Our  first  months 
of  autumn,  you  know,  are  liable  to  be  quite  aa 
oppressive  as  midsummer.  Baby  had  such  a 
narrow  escape  that,  it  seems  to  me,  you  would 
hazard  a  great  deal  in  trying  to  return  before 
October  at  the  earliest." 

The  mother's  heart  gave  a  little  thrill  of 
satisfaction  over  this  sentence ;  it  was  so  pleas 
ant  to  hear  the  past  tense  used  in  connection 
with  her  darling's  illness.  Others  beside  her 
self,  then,  accepted  the  danger  as  "  past !  "  She 
was  joyful  and  grateful. 

But  the  father's  mind  was  occupied  with 
another  problem ;  he  was  thankful  for  the  past, 
and  foreboding  for  the  future  !  He  was  the 
bread  winner  of  this  little  family,  and  saw  no 
way  in  which  to  win  any.  The  rent,  too,  had 
been  accumulating,  he  having  had  only  prom 
ises  with  which  to  pay  the  last  month's  balance, 
and  now  another  was  nearly  due.  Every  Mon 
day  morning  when  Mr.  Temple  returned  to  the 
city,  he  had  said  cheerily : 


378  The  Pocket  Measure. 

"I  will  keep  a  lookout  for  you,  Spafford,  and 
I  think  there  will  be  an  opening  of  some  sort 
soon." 

But  openings  in  the  commercial  world  at 
this  date  were  not  so  numerous  —  at  least  such 
as  would  support  a  man  with  a  family ;  young 
men  by  the  dozens  stood  ready  to  absorb  any 
opening,  and  be  content  with  small  salaries.  So 
Mr.  Spafford's  face  was  clouded. 

"  I  must  go  back  to  the  city  as  soon  as  I 
possibly  can,  and  look  for  work,"  he  said,  speak 
ing  quickly.  "  You  forget,  Mrs.  Temple,  that 
I  have  nothing  but  your  unparalleled  kindness 
to  live  upon." 

"  I  don't  think  that  is  true,"  she  made  an 
swer  in  quiet  tone.  "  You  have  your  Father's 
sure  promise ;  but  I  don't  want  to  trammel 
you ;  when  Mr.  Temple  comes  down  again,  you 
and  he,  talking  it  over,  may  decide  it  best  to 
go  back  together  and  make  arrangements  for 
the  future,  but  in  regard  to  your  wife  and 
baby,  I  feel  exactljr  like  meddling.  I  don't 
think  I  could  endure  it  to  have  my  baby  taken 
back  to  the  city  until  I  felt  that  it  was  safe. 
He  is  my  only  grandchild,  you  know,  and  I 


Measuring  Human  Influence.  379 

may  be  excused,  perhaps,  for  being  selfish  over 
him.  I  think,  Mr.  Spafford,  you  should  lay 
your  commands  on  mother  and  child  to  stay 
quietly  here  with  me  while  you  bear  the  heat 
and  burden  of  the  day.  I  shall  not  go  to  town 
until  the  very  last  of  October,  probably,  and 
I  need  not  try  to  tell  you  how  lonely  I  should 
feel  without  the  mother  and  baby.  I  suppose 
you  and  Mr.  Temple  could  keep  bachelors'  hall 
together,  if  it  should  seem  necessary?" 

What  answer  could  be  made  to  such  persis 
tent  kindness !  The  gitests  looked  at  each 
other,  and  felt  almost  embarrassed  by  this  wealth 
of  hospitality.  How  were  they  ever  to  express 
their  gratitude?  Mrs.  Spafford,  studying  for 
the  hundredth  time  the  whole  matter,  suddenly 
put  it  into  a  question  which  she  had  longed  to 
ask : 

"  How  came  you  to  do  it,  Mrs.  Temple  ?  I 
mean,  what  induced  you  to  take  us  in,  in  this 
unworldly  fashion,  and  do  for  us,  and  with  us 
as  if  we  were  your  very  own  ?  " 

"  You  make  altogether  too  much  of  it,"  said 
Mrs,  Temple,  speaking  lightly  ;  "  is  it  so  strange 
a  thing  that  a  woman  with  a  house  at  her  dis- 


380  The  Pocket  Measure. 

posal,  and  leisure  on  her  hands,  should  be 
heartily  glad  of  pleasant  friends  about  her  for 
the  summer?  Especially  when  there  was  a 
baby  like  our  War  included  ?  Still,  I  know 
what  you  mean.  By  what  line  of  impulse  or 
suggestion  did  it  first  occur  to  me  ?  You  will 
doubtless  be  surprised,  my  dear  friend,  to  learn 
that  you  were  the  starting  point.  Do  you  re 
member  that  first  missionary  meeting  down 
town  that  you  attended,  and  your  prayer  ?  " 

"  I  remember  the  meeting  very  well,"  Mrs. 
Spafford  said,  her  cheeks  flushing,  "  and  the  fact 
that  I  offered  pntyer,  but  what  has  that  to  do 
with  this  summer's  experience  ?  " 

"  Much.  There  was  that  in  your  prayer 
which  set  me  to  thinking  in  a  new  channel.  I 
had  been  accustomed  to  think  of  the  foreign- 
field  as  very  widely  separated  from  work  at 
home ;  two  channels  you  know,  each  feeding 
the  Ocean  of  God's  work  for  the  world,  but 
stretched  apart  to  such  a  degree  that  those  who 
gave  their  lives  to  feeding  one  channel,  could 
not  do  much,  in  any  way,  for  the  other.  Some 
thing  in  your  language  and  manner  made  me 
feel  that  they  touched  each  other  —  joined 


Measuring  Human  Influence.  381 

hands,  indeed ;  that  I  could  lay  my  hand  on 
my  next  neighbor's  shoulder,  and  speak  a  word 
or  look  a  feeling,  that  could  be  made  to  reach 
to  Africa  or  China.  I  can  not  describe  it  very 
well,  nor  make  very  clear  to  you,  what  a  hold 
the  thought  took  upon  me.  But  I  know  I 
looked  about  on  those  with  whom  I  came  in 
contact  with  very  different  eyes  from  that  time 
forth.  I  had  felt  myself  consecrated  —  time, 
money  and  strength  —  to  the  work  of  Foreign 
Missions ;  my  father  died  in  the  work  abroad, 
and  two  brothers  and  a  sister  labor  there  to 
day  ;  and,  in  short,  I  lived  for  the  other  side 
of  the  world,  and  thought  it  right.  I  still  think 
it  right ;  but  I  see  fresh  ways  of  doing  it.  I 
can  reach  China  through  my  neighbor  that  I 
meet  on  the  street.  I  am  constantly  saying  to 
myself,  '  Who  knows  what  that  little  girl  may 
do  for  China  when  she  grows  into  a  woman? 
Who  knows  what  millions  that  little  fellow, 
playing  at  my  neighbor's  back  door  may  give 
for  Japan  or  India  ?  Am  I  making  my  meaning 
plain  ?  I  don't  believe  I  am,  but  it  is  plain  to 
me.  When  I  heard  of  my  blessed  little  War's 
illness,  without  any  idea  as  to  how  I  should 


382  The  Pocket  Measure. 

come  to  love  him  as  my  very  own,  I  instantly 
said  to  myself,  '  How  can  I  know  but  his  life  is 
to  be  saved,  through  me,  so  that  he  may,  in 
the  years  to  come,  touch  all  heathendom  with 
his  influence !'  I  got  that  out  of  your  own 
prayer,  Mrs.  Spafford  ;  it  came  to  me  as  it  never 
had  before,  and  I  have  enjoyed  living  twice  as 
well  since  then.  It  is  not  that  I  love  China 
less,  you  know,  but  my  neighbor  more.  The 
Lord  has  opened  fresh  streams,  and  given  me 
a  chance  to  help  swell  their  current,  for  the 
same  great  end."  And  her  eyes  were  shining 
with  tears. 

Just  at  that  moment  there  appeared  in  the 
door  Master  War  Spafford,  in  nurse  Phil- 
brick's  arms ;  that  devoted  slave  of  his  was  to 
leave  him  on  the  morrow,  and  had  been  enjoy 
ing  a  last  love  scene  with  him  in  the  nursery. 
His  mother  arose  to  take  him,  and,  as  she 
pressed  his  velvet  cheek  to  hers,  she  said,  her 
voice  slightly  tremulous  with  feeling : 

"  We  will  try  to  train  this  little  boy  that 
the  love  and  wealth  you  have  lavished  on  him 
may  bring  an  hundred  fold  reward  to  the 
foreign  field." 


Measuring  Human  Influence.  883 

After  that,  both  parents  believed  that  they 
would  have  been  silly,  as  well  as  ungrateful, 
to  have  pressed  the  idea  of  going  away,  in  the 
face  of  Mrs.  Temple's  expressed  advice  to  the 
contrary.  Still,  the  father's  face  was  shadowed, 
and  he  was  plainly  growing  restive.  Some 
move  he  must  make,  or  his  manhood  would 
suffer.  The  dignity  of  suffering,  and  the  fore 
boding  of  coming  sorrow  that  had  held  him 
prisoner,  were  lifted.  War  was  able  to  roll  in 
the  sand,  and  shout  at  the  waves,  and  frolic, 
in  one  way  and  another,  during  every  moment 
of  his  waking  hours.  His  cheeks  were  grow 
ing  round  and  plump  again,  and  his  eyes  were 
bright  with  health  and  the  joy  of  living.  The 
father  felt  that  he  must  be  at  work. 

It  was  but  two  days  after  the  talk  on  the 
piazza  that  he  was  summoned  to  the  parlor  to 
meet  a  caller.  The  conference  was  a  some 
what  lengthy  one,  but  he  came  away  from  it 
with  a  bright  light  in  his  eyes,  and  ascended 
the  stairs,  two  steps  at  a  time,  in  search  of 
his  wife. 

"  Gallic,  dear,"   he  said,  going   over   to   her, 


384  The  Pocket  Measure. 

"T  shall  have  to  go  to  the  city  without  you, 
and  before  the  time  we  had  planned." 

"  Why  ?  "  she  asked  him,  not  startled  ;  his 
face  was  too  bright  for  any  news  that  was  not 
pleasant.  "  I  think  from  your  face,  Warren, 
that  you  must  have  an  opportunity  for  employ 
ment  ;  and,  indeed,  I  think  from  my  heart 
that  such  must  be  the  case.  My  faith  has  been 
stronger  all  the  morning." 

"  Then  I  can  reward  it  with  a  bit  of  sight," 
he  said,  gleefully.  "  Gallic,  do  you  remember 
that  carpet  clerk  of  whom  we  bought  our 
carpet,  how  interested  he  seemed  in  our  twists 
and  turns  to  save  a  penny,  aud  how  patient 
he  was  with  us  ?  " 

She  remembered  him  perfectly,  the  wife 
declared,  and  moreover  had  often  thought  of 
him,  and  wondered  whether  he  had  a  happy  home. 

"  Well,  it  is  he  who  has  been  calling  on  me  ; 
he  brought  great  news.  Mr.  Temple,  it  seems, 
had  heard  that  there  was  a  vacancy  in  their 
house,  and  called  in  person  to  present  my  name  ; 
but  there  were  a  dozen  applicants,  and,  but 
for  what  we  are  apt  to  term  an  accident,  it 
would  have  done  no  good.  Mr.  Johns,  the 


Measuring  Human  Influence.  385 


carpet  clerk,  was  standing  by,  and  recognized 
my  name  ;  it  seems  he  had  been  more  or  less 
interested  in  us  ever  since;  his  little  sister 
met  you  at  a  missionary  meeting  in  the  city 
and  fell  in  love  with  you,  rushed  up  and  kissed 
you  —  so  he  says.  Do  you  remember  her  ? 
He  is  a  favorite  in  the  house,  has  served  them 
faithfully  for  a  number  of  years,  and  they 
were  disposed  to  listen  to  his  advice.  He  had 
heard  me  mentioned  favorably  by  our  firm 
more  than  once,  and  suggested  that  they  send 
to  inquire  into  the  particulars  of  my  leaving 
their  employ.  This  was  done,  and  Mr.  Burton 
himself  told  the  whole  story,  giving  me  an. 
excellent  name,  Johns  says,  and  admitting  that 
he  considered  himself  hasty  in  discharging  me. 
Well,  when  McCalister  &  Hayes  heard  tho 
story,  they  both,  being  members  of  the  Sab 
bath  Committee,  and  staunch  advocates  of  a 
stricter  observance  of  the  day,  agreed  in  five 
minutes  to  give  me  the  vacancjr,  and  sent 
Johns,  who  was  coming  down  here  for  a  two 
weeks  vacation,  to  interview  me  this  morning, 
and  tell  me  I  might  report  at  their  establish 
ment  to-morrow  morning,  if  I  chose." 


386  The  Pocket  Measure. 

"  To-morrow  morning,"  repeated  Mrs.  Spaf- 
ford,  with  a  little  sinking  at  her  heart  despite 
the  good  news ;  their  first  separation  was  then 
near  at  hand. 

"  Yes,  it  is  sudden,  dear ;  but,  after  all,  not 
too  soon  for  me  to  go  to  work.  An  able-bodied 
man  can  not  sit  down  idly  and  let  others  feed 
him  a  minute  longer  than  the  providence  of 
God  seems  to  hold  him  there.  You  can  come 
home  in  a  little  while,  Callie.  I  can  get  all 
ready  for  you  and  the  boy,  and  only  think 
what  a  boy  you  will  have  to  bring  back. 
Besides,  there  is  something  else  —  you  havn't 
asked  me  as  to  salary  ?  What  do  you  say  to 
'a  thousand  a  year,  Robin  Rough?'"  and  the 
foolishly  happy  father  rang  out  the  refrain  of 
the  old  tune,  stopped  in  the  middle  of  a  strain 
by  a  warning  shake  of  his  wife's  head  and  a 
nestling  in  the  crib. 

"Really,  Warren?" 

"  Really,  Callie  ;  with  a  prospect  of  increase 
if  I  succeed  in  meeting  their  requirements  ; 
which  I  can,  for  they  have  the  name  of  being 
as  fine  a  firm  to  work  for  as  there  is  in  the 
city." 


Measuring  Human  Influence.  387 


What  do  you  think  was  Mrs.  Spafford's  sec 
ond  thought  connected  with  this  whole  matter  ? 
She  turned  toward  her  husband,  her  soul  shin 
ing  in  her  eyes,  her  very  voice  radiant: 

"  Oh,  Warren !  then  we  will  have  a  hundred 
dollars  a  year  for  the  jewel-case.  We  had  noth 
ing  for  it  this  month,  apparently,  because  you 
were  earnestly  trying  to  follow  the  Lord's  own 
command ;  and  now  we  have  it  almost  doubled, 
and  the  influences  can  be  traced  back  to  the 
same  cause.  Isn't  that  wonderful  ?  " 

"  That  reminds  me,  Callie,  there  is  another 
point.  I  don't  know  what  you  will  say  to  this. 
Johns  wants  to  come  out  and  board  with  us. 
He  says  he  must  get  away  from  the  city. 
Stuffy  room  he  has,  you  know,  and  poor  board ; 
nothing  home-like.  I  feel  sorry  for  him.  I  told 
him  we  would  consider  the  matter  and  let  him 
know.  I  thought  possibly  you  would  see  your 
way  clear  to  giving  him,  that  extra  room,  and 
perhaps  use  his  board  to  pay  a  girl  with,  and 
so  get  a  little  leisure  yourself — as  much  as 
this  fellow  will  give  you.  How  does  it  strike 
you  at  first  thought  ?  " 


388  The  Pocket  Measure 

Mrs.  Spafford's  face  clouded  for  a  moment 
with  a  perplexed  look,  then  cleared  : 

"  I  had  designs  on  that  room,"  she  said 
brightly ;  "  I  thought  possibly  we  could  make 
it  do  actual  missionary  work  for  us ;  but  then 
who  knows  but  this  may  be  the  Lord's  ap- 
poin  ted  way  for  us  to  do  it  ?  This  Mr.  John's 
isn't  even  a  Christian,  is  he  ?  Yet  how  do  we 
know  but  he  may  be  worth  everything  to  the 
cause  some  clay?  Perhaps  Mrs.  Temple  is 
right,  and  each  little  movement  of  ours  tells, 
not  only  for  the  work  at  home,  but  for  the 
great  world  abroad,  if  only  our  faith  reaches 
out  and  grasps  them  all.  Yes,  Warren,  I  think 
we  will  make  a  home  for  him  if  he  wishes. 
I  feel  as  though  I  would  like  to  make  homes 
for  everybody  and  take  them  all  in.  As  for 
Mr.  Johns,  I  have  had  a  fancy  for  him  ever 
since  he  waited  so  patiently  while  I  changed 
my  mind  a  dozen  times,about  our  carpet.  We'll 
buy  a  pretty  one  for  his  room,  won't  we  ?  Oh, 
see  what  the  mail  has  brought  me !  A  letter 
from  our  treasurer,  with  the  largest  remittance 
for  my  share  in  the  business  that  I  have  evei 
had  yet.  That  scheme  is  going  to  succeed  roy- 


Measuring  Human  Influence.  389 

ally.  I  feel  it,  more  than  ever.  Warren,  I 
think  I  feel  just  a  little  as  David  did  when  he 
said,  '  My  cup  runneth  over.' " 

Now,  passing  over  the  long,  quiet  rest,  when 
mother  and  child  grew  strong  together,  when 
Mrs.  Spafford  and  her  hostess  grew  daily  more 
closely  united  in  Christian  love  and  sympathy, 
and  took  sweet  counsel  together,  I  shall  let 
you  peep  into  the  little  house  deserted  so  sud 
denly  on  that  summer  morning — for  this  is 
the  family  reunion.  All  day  long  has  the 
neighbor,  Mrs.  Evans,  been  moving  with  tire 
less  feet  about  the  rooms,  giving  them  a  home 
like  air.  At  supper-time  they  are  expected, 
and  she  has  set  the  table  in  holiday  array,  in 
the  bright  dining-room,  and  mindful  of  a  cer 
tain  supper  table  which  marked  a  new  era  in 
her  home  life,  she  has  made  delicate  little  puffs 
of  soda  biscuit  for  supper ;  and  stewed  potatoes 
in  milk  and  broiled  a  steak,  and  she  knows  per 
fectly  well,  as  she  surveys  all  the  nice  appoint 
ments  of  the  table,  that  Mrs.  Spafford  herself, 
pattern  housekeeper  though  she  may  be,  could 
not  have  improved  upon  the  details  of  that 
meal. 


390  The  Pocket  Measure. 

The  expected  ones  have  arrived,  and  are 
moving  about  up-stairs  at  this  moment,  wash 
ing  away  the  dust  of  travel.  The  Temple  car 
riage  brought  them  but  a  half  hour  ago,  even 
as  it  had  taken  them  away,  but  what  a  gay, 
bright,  rollicking  baby  is  returned  to  them  in 
place  of  the  wan  shadow  they  carried  away. 

"  I  shouldn't  know  him  at  all,"  had  Mrs. 
Evans  declared,  to  the  satisfaction  of  the 
mother.  She  shivered  even  yet  over  the  rec 
ollection  of  the  pitiful  little  face  he  carried 
away. 

"  How  brown  he  is,"  exclaimed  the  father, 
and  the  mother  laughed  and  declared  that  it 
was  the  sunshine  on  the  sand  —  that  he  had 
done  nothing  for  six  weeks  but  roll  around  in 
the  sand  and  shout  and  crow.  Oh  yes,  it  had 
been  a  joyous  home  coming. 

"  We  invited  ourselves  to  supper,"  explained 
Mrs.  Evans,  as  she  seated  the  lady  of  the  house 
and  motioned  her  own  husband  to  his  place. 
"  I  knew  you  wouldn't  be  able  to  find  things 
the  first  evening.  I  don't  suppose  I  have  them 
in  the  right  place  ;  but  I  know  where  they  are, 
and  that  is  all  that  is  necessary  at  present.  To- 


Measuring  Human  Influence.  391 

morrow,  Mrs.  SpafFord  your  Phillis  is  to  come. 
Don't  you  think,  her  name  really  is  Phillis  !  She 
knows  how  to  do  everything,  so  she  says ;  and 
she  looks  as  though  she  might  know  a  good 
deal,  especially  about  some  things.  I  know  I 
am  glad  she  is  to  be  your  help,  and  not 
mine." 

Mr.  Evans  laid  down  his  knife  and  fork  to 
laugh. 

"  My  wife  retains  her  horror  of  hired  help 
in  full  force  to  this  day,"  he  said,  with  evi 
dent  satisfaction.  "  You  haven't  had  one  around 
since  Betty  left  you  in  the  lurch  that  rainy 
morning,  have  you  ?  " 

"  Not  for  an  hour,"  she  said  complacently, 
"  and  I  confess  it  would  give  me  a  little  twinge 
of  disappointment  to  be  obliged  to  have  one. 
But  you  are  mistaken  Dane,  about  the  horror. 
I  have  lost  all  the  old  feeling  of  utter  help 
lessness  that  used  to  come  over  me  when  I 
used  to  try  to  find  fault  without  knowing 
wherein  the  fault  lay  or  how  to  remedy  it.  It 
is  a  very  different  sensation  to  remember,  if 
your  help  chooses  to  get  offended  and  leave 
just  at  dinner-time,  that  the  dinner  will  not 


392  The  Pocket  Measure. 

necessarily  suffer  in  consequence.  The  trouble 
was,  I  was  a  slave  to  my  ignorance  until  Mrs. 
Spafford  gave  me  a  taste  of  freedom." 

Up-stairs,  after  the  dining-room  had  been  set 
in  orderly  array,  the  two  ladies  moved  about, 
Mrs.  Evans  turning  down  the  blankets  of  the 
pretty  crib  and  making  it  ready  for  its  occupant, 
and  the  mother,  as  she  laid  the  happy  boy 
within,  and  tucked  the  snowy  coverings  care 
fully,  turned  to  her  friend  with  a  sweetly  sol 
emn  smile  on  her  face,  as  she  said : 

"My  friend,  I  have  you  also  to  thank  for 
this  hour ;  under  God  you  saved  my  baby  to 
me.  I  have  never  put  into  words  how  much  I 
thank  you  for  your  swift,  silent,  thoughtful 
work,  but  God  knows  how  I  have  remembered 
it,  and  always  shall.  I  have  lately  come  to  feel 
what  is  to  me  a  somewhat  new  idea  about  it. 
Who  can  tell  what  God  may  let  those  little 
hands,  or  that  baby  voice  do  for  his  glory  in 
the  turning  of  the  nations  of  the  earth  to  him 
self?  And  if  he  gives  him  great  things  to  do, 
will  not  part  of  the  work  be  yours  ?  What 
wonderful  rewards  God  may  have  in  store  for 
even  our  smallest  efforts  made  for  his  sake  I  I 


Measuring  Human  Influence.  393 

understand  about   the  cup  of  cold  water  better 
than  I  ever  did  before." 

"Mrs.  Evans'  eyes  were  moist  as  she  an 
swered  humbly : 

"  It  was  but  a  very  little  commonplace  thing 
that  I  could  do.  I  was  just  a  simple  errand  girl 
and  carried  a  message  to  those  who  could  and 
did  ;  but  my  motive,  I  think,  was  love  for  you, 
my  friend ;  I  can  claim  no  blessing  from  the 
Master." 

"  Ah  !  can  you  not  ?  '  Inasmuch  as  ye  did 
it  unto  one  of  the  least  of  these,  my  brethren, 
ye  did  it  unto  me.' " 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

MEASURING  RESPONSIBILITY. 

must  go  home  early  to-night  and  give 
;  these  people  a  chance  to  rest." 

This  was  what  Mr.  Evans  said  in  one 
form  or  another,  several  times  during  the 
earlier  part  of  the  evening ;  yet  they  lingered. 
Some  absorbing  topic  of  conversation  would 
be  immediately  started  by  one  of  the  circle, 
and  the  half  movement  to  separate  would  be 
forestalled.  The  Evanses  were  so  glad  to  get 
their  neighbors  back  again,  and  the  neighbors, 
on  their  part,  were  so  gratefully  glad  to  be 
back  again,  that  it  was  hard  to  separate.  Even 
when  Mr.  Evans  actually  arose  and  said,  "  Now, 
really,  Eva,  we  ought  to  go,"  Mrs.  Spafford 
394 


Measuring  Responsibility.  395 

/ 
said   just  at  that  moment :  "  Oh,   Mrs.   Evans, 

I  wanted  to  ask  you  about  Jennie.  Do  you 
think  she  —  "  and  here  the  ladies'  chairs  were 
drawn  closer,  and  the  tones  became  confidential. 
The  two  husbands  looked  at  each  other  and 
smiled  ;  then  something  in  Mr.  Evans'  face,  a 
sort  of  wistful,  yet  hesitating  look,  sent  a  tele 
graphic  dispatch  to  the  other  gentleman's  heart. 
They  had  been  thrown  much  together,  these 
two,  during  the  weeks  that  had  intervened 
since  Mr.  Spafford's  return  to  the  city,  and  he 
had  tried  to  be  a  faithful  witness  for  his  Lord. 
So  now  he  laid  a  detaining  hand  on  the  other's 
arm,  and  said  in  a  voice  of  grave,  yet  winning 
inquiry : 

"My  friend,  is  the  great  question  settled 
yet?" 

Slowly  and  gravely  Mr.  Evans  shook  his 
head  ;  yet  he  seemed  relieved  and  grateful  that 
the  subject  had  been  started,  and  Mr.  Spafford, 
watching  his  face  for  a  moment,  ventured 
further : 

"  I  wish  I  knew  just  what  is  in  the  way.  It 
has  sometimes  seemed  to  me,  when  I  have  been 
talking  with  you,  as  though  you  came  up  to  a 


396  The  Pocket  Measure. 

sort  of  stone  wall,  which  prevented  you  from 
taking  another  step.  I  wish  I  could  know 
whether  there  is  really  an  obstacle,  and  what 
it  is.  Perhaps  we  could  together  lift  it  out  of 
the  way." 

"There  is  an  obstacle,"  declared  Mr.  Evans 
in  an  emphatic  voice,  after  just  a  moment  of 
irresolution  ;  "  you  are  right  !  I  cannot  take 
another  step  until  an  intervening  question  is 
decided." 

Meantime,  Mrs.  Spafford  who  was  deeply 
interested  in  the  inquiries  she  was  making, 
became  suddenly  aware  that  her  friend's  inter 
est  was  elsewhere.  The  truth  is,  Mrs.  Evans 
was  in  such  a  state  of  constant  longing  for  her 
husband's  decision  on  the  momentous  question 
—  was  so  on  the  alert  to  have  him  influenced 
in  the  right  direction  —  that  the  moment  the 
question  was  presented  her  heart  seemed  to 
take  warning,  and  be  ready  to  stand  sentinel. 
Mrs.  Spafford,  following  the  direction  of  her 
eyes,  saw  her  giving  eager,  almost  painful  heed 
to  the  conversation  which  was  taking  place 
over  by  the  window.  Therefore,  both  of  the 
ladies  heard  Mr.  Spafford's  next  question : 


Measuring  Responsibility.  397 

"  Is  it  anything  that  you  are  willing  to  tell 
me  about  ?  " 

"  The  fact  is,"  said  Mr.  Evans,  after  another 
thoughtful  pause,  "I  can't  make  a  profession 
of  one  thing,  and  live  a  life  that  is  at  variance 
with  it.  In  other  words,  I  can't  continue  in 
my  present  business  and  be  a  Christian.  At 
least  it  doesn't  seem  to  me  that  I  can.  I  have 
always  regarded  the  temperance  question  as 
one  of  the  most  important  with  which  a  Chris 
tian  had  to  do  ;  and  I  have  always  been  se 
cretly  ashamed  of  the  church  because  it  did 
not  take  strong  enough  ground  on  this  subject. 
Now,  with  my  eyes  as  wide  open  as  that,  could 
I  support  my  family  from  such  a  business,  and 
at  the  same  time  claim  myself  as  belonging  to 
a  master,  who,  I  believe,  hates  the  whole 
thing?" 

"  But  Mr.  Evans,  you  have  nothing  to  do 
with  the  selling  of  liquor !  " 

It  was  his  wife's  horrified  voice  that  asked 
this  question,  or  rather  made  this  distressed 
statement.  It  was  the  first  intimation  her  hus 
band  had  that  the  conversation  had  become 
general.  He  turned  toward  her  with  a  some- 


398  The  Pocket  Measure. 

what  sad  smile.  The  keener  brain  of  the 
man  had,  years  before,  seen  through  the  deli 
cate  film  of  respectability  with  which  others 
had  enshrouded  his  business,  and  which  had 
satisfied  his  wife. 

"  No,  dear,  but  I  buy  it  ;  that  is,  I  pay  for 
it,  large  sums  of  money  every  month,  and  make 
out  bills  of  it,  and  deal  with  it  in  a  dozen  dif 
ferent  ways.  In  fact,  I  have  to  do  with  the 
management  of  liquors  as  much  as  though  I 
owned  the  entire  establishment." 

"  Well,  but,"  urged  his  wife,  distress  still 
apparent  in  her  voice,  "you  are  only  the  clerk, 
you  have  no  responsibility  in  the  matter ;  it 
isn't  your  liquor,  and  you  get  no  money  for 
its  sale  ;  the  responsibility  of  selling  it  doesn't 
belong  to  you." 

"  My  dear  wife,  I  might  say  the  same  thing 
if  I  were  a  clerk  for  old  Green,  down  here  at 
the  corner,  and  sold  bad  whiskey  at  so  much 
a  glass.  You  see,  there  is  no  such  thing  as 
shirking  responsibilities  in  that  way.  I  get 
my  living  from  the  sale  of  that  which  I  believe 
to  be  a  curse  to  the  world,  and  whether  I  pour 
it  into  a  glass,  or  count  the  money  that  is  paid 


Measuring  Responsibility.  399 

for  it,  seems  to  me  to  have  very  little  to  do 
with  the  real  question.  To  be  sure,  I  can  say 
if  I  don't  receive  the  salary  somebody  else  will 
and  I  might  as  well  have  it  as  anybody,  but 
the  trouble  with  that  argument  is,  it  proves 
too  much.  A  thief  can  use  it ;  there  are  always 
people  enough  to  steal,  and  I  might  as  well 
share  the  plunder  as  any  one.  How  would 
you  like  that  reasoning,  Eva  ? " 

She  smiled  a  wan  sort  of  smile.  She  under 
stood  the  illustration,  and  could  not  help  seeing 
that  the  cases  were  sufficiently  analogous  to 
have  it  fit.  Still,  the  idea  was  new  to  her  and 
hateful. 

"  I  have  never  thought  of  such  a  thing,"  she 
said,  drawing  a  long  breath.  "  If  it  has  seemed 
so  to  you,  Dane,  I  wonder  that  you  have  borne 
it  so  long." 

"  Yes  !  "  he  said,  his  face  darkening,  and  he 
arose  and  began  to  walk  up  and  down  the 
room;  "that  is  just  the  difference  between 
Spafford  here  and  myself.  He  sees  things  and 
does  them,  and  I  see  things  and  shirk  them ; 
and  one  can't  be  a  Christian  and  do  that  last, 
in  my  opinion.  So  there  I  am.  Don't  you 


400  The  Pocket  Measure. 

see,  Spafford,  I  havn't  a  chance  to  take  any 
steps  ?  " 

"No,"  said  Mr.  Spafford,  emphatically,  "I 
don't  see  anything  of  the  kind ;  if  your  reason 
ing  is  clear,  you  have  a  very  serious  step  to 
take." 

"  Aye,  that's  the  trouble ;  too  serious.  You 
see  it  is  all  we  have  to  depend  upon,  my  wife 
and  I.  For  a  long  time  I  settled  down  upon 
the  thought  that  it  was  a  man's  duty  to  take 
care  of  his  family,  and  that  I  must  not  give 
up  my  situation  until  I  secured  another;  and 
I  have  been  secretly  at  work  for  months  try 
ing  to  find  an  opening;  but  there  isn't  any 
such  thing  as  an  opening ;  apparently  I  am  shut 
up  to  this  one  place.  I  havn't  heard  of  even 
a  possible  chance  for  something  in  the  future. 
I  told  myself  that  it  was  plainly  my  duty  to 
hold  on  here ;  and  that  it  was  equally  my  duty 
not  to  make  a  public  profession  while  I  was  so 
engaged ;  and  I've  been  trying,  if  ever  a  man 
did,  to  live  two  lives.  I  have  tried  hard  to  act 
like  a  Christian  and  feel  like  a  Christian,  and 
I  can't  do  it.  I  feel  more  like  a  hypocrite  than 
anything  else.  Still,  it  wasn't  very  plain  to 


Measuring  Responsibility.  401 

me  what  I  ought  to  do,  until  your  trial  hour 
came,  Spafford,  and  with  less  to  live  on  than 
I  have,  and  more  at  stake,  you  swung  off,  on 
what  looked  like  a  very  little  matter,  too. 
I  heard  a  member  of  the  same  church  as  your 
self  criticise  you  sharply,  classing  your  line  of 
conduct  as  belonging  to  those  who  '  strain  at 
a  gnat  aud  swallow  a  camel,'  though  he  omit 
ted  to  say  what  camel  you  had  swallowed. 
Well,  it  opened  my  eyes.  As  soon,  at  least, 
as  I  would  allow  myself  to  open  them.  I  called 
you  a  fool  for  a  few  days,  but  I  knew  all  the 
time  that  you  were  simply  an  honest  man 
with  a  live  conscience ;  by  the  same  sign  I 
knew  that  I  wasn't.  I  see  plainly  now  what 
I  ought  to  do ;  but  I  havn't  advanced  an  inch. 
J  shrink  from  it  as  hard  as  ever.  How  can  I 
deliberately  relinquish  our  only  chance  of 
support  and  fold  my  hands  ?  Spafford,  do  you 
see  how  I  can  do  it?  Now,  tell  me,  what 
would  you  advise  ?  " 

"  What  does  Mrs.  Evans  advise  ?  " 
It  was  Mr.  Spafford  who  asked  this  question. 
Whereupon   her   husband    turned    toward   her 
a  distressed   look  ;   it  was  evident   that  he  did 


402  The  Pocket  Measure. 

not  expect  his  wife  to  understand  or  appreciate 
the  awful  straits  to  which  he  was  reduced. 
She  was  a  temperance  woman  in  a  sweet  and 
quiet  way ;  but  she  had  never  been  what  her 
uncle  had  called  a  "  temperance  fanatic,"  and 
the  definitions  of  society  had  heretofore  given 
her  complete,  unquestioning  satisfaction.  How 
could  she  be  expected  to  see  what  the  light 
of  God's  own  Spirit  had  made  plain  to  his 
keener  mind  ?  It  was  evident  that  her  husband 
shrank  from  the  ordeal  presented  to  him,  for 
his  ^wife's  sake.  During  these  last  two  years 
she  had  grown  peculiarly,  inexpressibly  dear 
to  him ;  they  had  been  years  of  rest  in  his  home. 
What  he  had  supposed  was  a  quiet  little  spirit 
had  suddenly,  two  years  before,  arisen  and 
asserted  its  freedom  from  domestic  thralldom. 
She  would  have  no  more  of  the  so-called  help 
that  she  had  hitherto  endured  about  her ;  she 
would  be  her  own  mistress  and  do  her  own 
work.  Her  husband  had  laughed  sarcastically, 
and  looked  on  moodily,  but  the  resolute  house 
keeper  had  held  steadily  on  her  way.  She 
spent  long  hours  in  the  Spafford  kitchen,  con 
cocting  mysteries  which  blossomed  into  results 


Measuring  Responsibility.  408 

on  their  own  table.  She  steadily  held  her  own, 
one  evening,  against  first  ridicule  and  then 
positive  annoyance,  until  she  literally  made 
her  husband  say  just  what  sum  he  thought 
they  could  safely  spare  for  the  week's  household 
expenses.  His  reluctance  to  tell  her,  arising 
from  the  fact  that  he  knew  much  better  than 
she  did,  how  alarmingly  small  it  was  in  com 
parison  with  what  they  had  been  using.  But 
she  received  the  figures  meekly  enough,  and 
set  about  apportioning  them  after  the  fashion 
that  she  had  learned  from  Mrs.  Spafford,  arid 
neither  then  nor  afterward  did  she  call  for  a 
larger  sum. 

On  the  contrary,  she  steadily  saved  from 
the  week's  allowance,  until  one  evening  she 
amazed  her  husband  by  producing  enough  to 
pay  a  certain  bill  which  had  chafed  his  nerves 
and  driven  sleep  from  his  pillow  for  hours 
together.  It  was  not  until  after  that  event 
that  Mr.  Evans  actually  opened  his  eyes  wide, 
to  see  that  a  thorough  domestic  reform  had 
been  inaugurated  in  his  home,  and  that  the 
wheels  were  running  smoothly.  Since  which 
time  he  had  been  sure  of  one  thing,  that  his 


404  The  Pocket  Measure. 

wife  was  a  woman  of  rare  wisdom  and  skill 
and  tact,  as  regarded  the  management  of  a 
home.  Great  comfort  had  they  enjoyed  in 
their  home  during  these  two  years. 

A  "  little  box  of  a  place "  it  was  still,  but 
as  pretty  a  home  as  one  need  care  to  see  ;  and 
every  night  when  he  hastened  to  it,  Dane  Evans 
realized  that  the  genius  who  presided  within 
grew  dearer.  Yet  by  so  much  more  did  he 
want  to  shield  her  from  outside  winds.  She 
had  learned  to  use  the  means  he  brought,  to 
make  a  very  restful  Eden  of  the  home.  Could 
he  expect  her  to  think  it  would  be  either  wise 
or  right  to  withdraw  all  the  visible  means  for 
sustaining  it?  Make  beggars  of  themselves, 
indeed.  It  was  hardly  fair  to  appeal  to  her 
for  advice.  Yet  Mr.  Spafford  had  done  it. 

At  the  mention  of  her  name,  Mrs.  Evans 
arose  from  her  seat ;  her  eyes  were  bright  her 
cheeks  were  glowing.  She  went  over  to  her 
husband,  and  clasping  both  her  hands  over  his 
arm,  in  a  fashion  she  had  when  they  were  alone, 
and  she  was  very  much  in  earnest,  she  spoke 
exactly  as  though  she  had  forgotten  —  as  indeed 
she  had  —  that  there  were  any  others  present. 


Measuring  Responsibility.  405 

"Oh,  Dane,  how  is  it  possible  that  you  can 
hesitate  one  moment !  I  have  prayed  and 
prayed,  and  cried  before  God,  begging  him 
to  bring  you  to  a  decision.  I  knew  he  was 
calling  you.  I  could  not  think  what  stood 
in  your  way ;  I  am  not  wise  about  these 
matters,  you  know  Pane,  and  I  never  thought 
of  this ;  I  can  not  tell  you  how  glad,  how  very 
glad  and  grateful,  I  am  that  it  is  not  my 
miserable  inconsistent  life  as  a  Christian  that 
was  holding  you  back ;  I  know  you  had  a 
very  high  ideal,  and  I  knew  I  fell  so  far 
short ;  but,  Dane,  don't  oh  I  beg  of  you 
don't  for  one  moment,  let  the  thought  of  how 
we  shall  live,  keep  you  from  giving  your 
self  to  Christ.  He  will  take  care  that  we 
do  not  starve,  unless  he  wants  us  to  starve  for 
his  sake ;  and  I'm  sure  that  would  be  no  harder 
than  many  other  things ;  we  can't  do  just 
as  he  wishes,  Dane,  you  and  I,  but  don't 
let  us  for  one  moment  go  contrary  to  his 
plain  directions.  If  he  has  told  you  that  the 
way  we  get  our  money  is  wrong,  don't  let 
us  have  another  cent  of  it." 

Long    before   these   eager   impassioned    sen- 


406  The  Pocket  Measure. 

tences  were  concluded,  Mr.  Evans  had  put 
his  arm  around  his  wife,  and  drawn  her  closely 
to  him,  and  the  tears  were  dropping  from 
his  eyes.  Mr.  Spafford,  also,  had  drawn  his 
handkerchief,  and  was  clearing  his  throat  in 
a  suspicious  manner.  As  for  his  wife,  her 
eyes  were  too  bright  for -tears;  she  had  been 
confident  that  her  quiet  and  gentle  friend 
had  depths  of  feeling  and  heights  of  self- 
renunciation  that  were  not  suspected,  even  by 
her  husband;  it  was  just  as  well  for  him  to 
discover  what  a  power  he  had  beside  him. 

Mr.  Spafford  arose  and  went  over  to  where 
the  husband  and  wife  stood : 

"  Swing  off,  Evans,"  he  said,  earnestly  ; 
"there  is  no  peace  short  of  that.  I  have  dis 
covered,  by  my  own  experiences,  that  the 
Lord  will  have  nothing  to  do  with  com 
promises.  When  he  has  made  the  right  en 
tirely  plain  to  you,  the  manner  in  which  you 
may  be  sustained,  while  you  are  treading  the 
road  of  his  pointing  out,  is  in  a  sense  not 
your  concern ;  he  will  undertake  it  for  you. 
Trust  him." 

"I    don't    know    how    to    trust,"    said    Mr. 


Measuring  Responsibility.  407 

Evans,    tremulously;    "I  would    like     to     feel 
trustful,  but  I  certainly  don't." 

"Faith  is  the  gift  of  God,"  quoted  Mrs. 
Spafford,  in  clear,  ringing  voice;  it  was  the 
first  time  she  had  spoken. 

"  Yes,"  said  her  husband ;  "  that  is  one 
of  the  heart  troubles  which  may  be  taken 
to  him,  too.  The  question  just  now  is:  Do 
you  intend  to  accept  Him  as  your  leader? 
Are  you  ready  to  resign  your  will  to  his, 
and  walk  in  the  paths  of  his  pointing  out,  and 
no  other  ?  Evans  what  you  want  is  an  ef 
fort  of  the  will.  You  have  been  trying  to 
do  your  own  planning;  to  see  your  way 
perfectly  clear,  and  when  you  had  succeeded 
in  arranging  everything  to  your  satisfaction, 
you  were  going  to  tell  the  Lord  that  you 
were  willing  now  to  serve  him.  I  don't  be 
lieve  he  would  ever  have  opened  a  way  for 
such  service  ;  what  he  wants  is  your  absolute 
surrender  into  his  hands." 

"  I  don't  believe  I  understand  you,  Spaf 
ford  ;  I  dare  say  I  am  dull,  but  these  things 
are  all  new  to  me.  Now  I  might  be  really 
anxious  to  trust  my  affairs  in  your  hands, 


408  The  Pocket  Measure. 

but  if  my  brain  would  keep  working  over 
them,  trying  to  plan,  I  hardly  see  how  I 
would  be  to  blame,  or  how  I  could  stop  plan 
ning.  I  might  resolve  with  all  my  might  to 
stop,  but  the  planning,  I  fancy,  would  still  go 
on,  almost  in  spite  of  me." 

"  Let  me  take  your  own  illustration,  my  friend 
and  complete  it.  Suppose  me  to  be  so  power 
ful  a  friend  that  your  judgment  justified  you 
in  placing  all  your  affairs  in  my  hands ;  and 
your  mind  said,  '  I  will  follow  his  directions 
in  every  particular ;  when  any  plan  is  sug 
gested  to  my  mind  I  will  take  it  at  once 
to  him,  and  whether  his  ways  seeni  to  me 
wise  or  not,  I  will  follow  them.'  If  that  was 
the  deliberate  language  of  your  heart,  it 
would  really,  in  ojie  sense  make  little  differ 
ence  how  much  planning  you  did.  Don't 
you  see,  my  friend,  that  your  next  step  is 
to  surrender  your  independence  to  the  Lord, 
willing  yourself  to  obey  him  ?  " 

Then  there  was  silence  in  that  little  parlor 
while  one  of  those  deliberations  was  taking 
place,  such  as  the  angels  watch  over  with 
intense  interest.  What  would  the  issue  be? 


Measuring  Responsibility.  409 

Mr.  Spafford  silently  pushed  a  chair  forward,  and 
Mr.  Evaus,  rousing  for  a  moment,  placed  his 
wife  in  it,  drew  a  seat  beside  her  and  sat 
down;  his  face  shaded  by  his  hand,  him 
self  evidently  in  deep  and  troubled  thought. 

"  There  is  one  thing,"  said  Mr.  Spafford, 
suddenly  breaking  the  silence,  "  that  perhaps 
is  hardly  necessary  to  say,  yet  someway  I 
feel  like  saying  it.  I  know,  by  experience 
you  remember,  that  the  way  looks  somewhat 
dark  when  there  is  no  apparent  means  of 
support ;  yet  no  one  certainly  knows  better 
than  I  do  —  than  we  do  —  how  promptly 
friends  start  up  for  hours  of  need  ;  so  I  wanted 
to  remind  you,  that  so  long  as  Gallic  and  I 
have  a  home  and  bread,  we  are  more  than 
ready  to  share  them  with  you,  until  such 
time  as  your  way  shines  clear." 

Mr.  Evans  reached  forth  his  hand  and 
grasped  that  of  his  friend. 

"  God  bless  you ! "  he  said ;  "  you  are  a 
true  friend  to  me.  I  realize  the  actual  dis 
grace  I  am  to  God,  for  being  unable  to  trust 
my  affairs  with  him ;  I  don't  feel  an  atom  of 
trust,  the  way  looks  as  dark  as  Egypt;  but 


410  The  Pocket  Measure. 

I  plainly  see  what  would  be  the  right  thing 
to  do ;  and  as  you  say,  I  can  control  my 
will,  if  I  cannot  my  heart ;  and  I  will  obey 
his  directions,  so  far  as  I  can  see  them  from 
this  time  forth.  So  help  me  God." 

"  Amen,"  said  Mrs.  Spafford.  "  Let  us 
pray." 

In  a  moment  the  little  circle  were  on  their 
knees ;  and  the  parlor,  so  often  consecrated 
by  the  voice  of  prayer,  was  filled  once  more 
with  words  of  consecration  and  thanks 
giving. 

Directly  Mr.  Spafford's  voice  ceased,  his 
wife  took  up  the  petition ;  and  then  Mrs. 
Evans,  her  voice  so  tremulous  from  pent 
up  emotion  that  she  could  hardly  syllable 
the  words,  breathed  forth  the  hopes  and  de 
sires  and  longings  of  her  heart.  Then,  a 
moment  of  silence  and  a  new  voice  was  chron 
icled  in  heaven  as  among  the  list  of  those  of 
whom  it  is  said,  "  Behold,  he  prayeth ! " 

As  they  arose  from  their  knees,  Mr. 
Evans  held  out  his  hand  again  to  his 
friend : 

"  It  is  very  strange,"  he  said  smiling,  "  there  is 


Measuring  Responsibility.  411 

certainly  nothing  in  my  outward  circumstances 
in  any  wise  altered  from  what  it  was  twenty 
minutes  ago,  but  the  heaviness  of  spirit 
is  gone.  I  feel  now  as  though  I  could  trust 
Him  not  only,  but  as  though  it  were  a  pleasure 
to  do  so.  May  he  bless  you  for  what  you  have 
been  to  me.  I  don't  believe  I  should  ever  have 
seen  my  duty  in  this  matter,  but  for  the  step 
which  you  took  in  the  dark,  for  the  honor  of 
his  name.  And  now  we  really  must  say  good 
night,  or  rather  'good-morning.'  I  don't  feel 
as  though  there  were  any  night." 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

MEASURED   IN   PROSE. 

fURING  the  two  years'  break  in  our 
story  another  home  had  been  estab 
lished  ;  at  least,  they  called  it  a  home. 
It  was  in  an  upper  story  of  one  of  those 
semi-genteel  boarding-houses  which  abound  in 
large  cities.  Three  flights  of  stairs,  a  long 
passage,  down  a  dimly-lighted  hall,  smelling 
of  old  carpeting,  and  you  reach  the  door  of 
this  home.  A  fair-sized  room,  carpeted  in 
dingy  colors ;  a  once  good  Brussels,  of  the 
exasperating  kind  which  never  wears  into 
honest  holes,  justifying  one  in  selling  it  to  the 
rag  man ;  but  simply  grows  duller,  grows 
threadbare,  grows  gloomy;  walls  hung  with 
412 


Measured  in  Prose.  413 

large-figured  dark  paper  to  match  the  carpet, 
having  grown  old  along  with'  it;  curtains 
heavy  and  dark  and  gloomy  looking,  grown 
old,  too,  like  the  dreary-faced  keeper  of  this 
dreary  boarding-house.  A  hair-cloth  sofa,  sev 
eral  hair-cloth  chairs,  one  brisk,  little  new- 
fashioned  rocker  in  bright  colors ;  an  old- 
fashioned  sofa  bedstead,  dark,  solid  wood, 
looking  respectable  but  gloomy,  and  speak 
ing,  like  the  carpet  and  the  curtains,  of  other 
da}'s ;  marble-topped  dressing  bureau  and  wash- 
stand,  the  woodwork  of  which  was  sadly 
marred  —  this  comprised  the  general  furnishing 
of  the  room.  To  be  sure,  there  were  little 
home  touches,  tidies  on  the  sofa  and  chairs, 
lace-trimmed  pillow-shams  and  bolster-shams, 
nick-nacks  of  one  sort  or  another  on  the  high, 
old-fashioned  mantle ;  all  of  these  had  a  care 
less  look,  as  though  the  owner  had  grown 
weary  of  keeping  them  in  the  daintiness  of 
perfect  order.  Yet  this  one  room,  up  three 
flights  of  stairs,  is  the  spot  where  those  two 
people,  who  went  to  the  opera  together  on  a 
never-to-be-forgotten  evening  long  ago,  are 
living  out  together  the  prose  of  that  life 


414  The  Pocket  Measure. 

which  began  in  poetry  during  their  homeward 
ride.  More  'than  a  year  had  Will  Coleman 
and  his  wife  spent  in  this  room.  They 
were  together  in  it  now;  Jennie  in  careful 
costume,  for  they  had  just  come  up  from 
dinner,  which  was  served  at  a  fashionable 
hour,  in  a  fashionable  dreary  basement  dining- 
room,  with  certain  fashionable  surroundings  in 
the  shape  of  handsome  old  dishes  and  a  few 
solid  silver  pieces,  and  when  you  had  said 
this,  you  had  said  all  that  was  to  be  com 
mended  about  the  meals  served  there.  Still, 
because  of  the  silver  pieces,  and  the  once  fine 
furniture,  and  the  faded  Brussels  carpets,  and 
the  general  air  of  decayed  respectability,  a 
large  sum — viewed  in  comparison  with  their 
income  —  had  to  be  paid.  The  question  of 
income  was  a  sore  one  to  Jennie  Coleman, 
even  as  it  had  alwa}*s  been  an  important 
one  to  Jennie  West.  The  history  of  the  last 
year  of  her  life  might  be  summed  up  in  one 
sentence  —  a  dreary  effort  to  be  what  she 
was  not,  and  to  do  what  she  could  not.  Her 
forehead  was  drawn  in  habitual  wrinkles,  a 
soured,  discontented  look  was  growing  on  her 


Measured  in  Prose.  415 

face  and  in  short,  she  looked,  as  she  sat  there, 
reading  the  announcements  of  the  evening 
amusements,  as  unlike  the  pretty  girl  whom 
Will  Coleman  had  escorted  to  the  opera  two 
years  before  as  can  be  imagined.  She  threw 
the  paper  aside  presently,  the  wrinkles  deep 
ening  on  her  forehead,  and  opened  the  con 
versation  with  a  pettish  exclamation : 

"  I   wish   we   could   ever  go   anywhere ! " 

"What  now?" 

It  was  Will  Coleman  who  asked  this  short, 
not  to  say  crabbed,  question.  He,  too,  had 
changed  in  the  space  of  two  years.  He  was 
growing  older,  there  was  no  mistaking  it; 
gray  touches  were  being  given  to  his  hair. 
Also  he  was  growing  fleshy  and  red-faced. 
I  find  it  very  difficult  to  put  the  change  into 
words.  It  is  one  thing  to  talk  about  a  few 
gray  hairs,  and  a  few  added  pounds  of  flesh, 
and  a  florid  look  on  the  face ;  and  quite 
another  thing  to  sit  and  look  at  a  familiar 
form,  which  was,  only  a  short  time  ago,  a 
very  embodiment  of  alert,  sprightly  gentleman- 
liness,  and  realize  the  distinctly  seen,  yet  in 
describable  change,  which  marks  him  as  an 


416  The  Pocket  Measure. 

unsatisfied,  unsuccessful,  almost  middle-aged 
man.  I  don't  think  Jennie  Coleman  saw 
this,  in  full  force,  at  least.  But  she  knew 
him  to  be  in  many  respects  unlike  the  Will 
Coleman  who  had  made  a  heaven  for  her  out 
of  that  homeward  ride  in  the  moonlight.  If 
the  echo  of  the  tenderness  that  was  in  his 
voice  that  evening  could  have  reached  to  her 
to-night  as  he  said  sharply,  "  What  now, " 
the  contrast  might  have  brought  the  tears. 
But  the  truth  was,  her  heart  was  not  bus}* 
with  retrospect. 

"Oh,  nothing  new,"  she  said,  the  petulance 
in  her  voice  being  even  more  distinctly 
marked :  "  I  was  just  looking  over  all  the 
things  that  were  going  on  to-night,  and  think 
ing  how  we  sat  here  cooped  up  in  this  den, 
not  able  to  go  anywhere  or  do  anything; 
night  after  night  the  same  thing,  and  the 
same  old  story  of  not  being  able  to  afford 
it  dinging  in  my  ears.  I'm  tired  of  it." 

"  We  have  to  pay  enough  for  the  den.  We 
might  have  a  degree  of  respect  for  it  on  that 
account.  I've  always  observed  that  things 
which  cost  a  great  deal  fill  you  with  admi- 


Measured  in  Prose.  417 

ration.  I  don't  see  why  you  can't  go  to 
work  and  admire  this  establishment  on  the 
strength  of  that." 

"Oh,  now,  Will;  don't  try  to  be  witty,  you 
never  were  intended  for  distinction  in  that 
line.  I  don't  know  when  you  have  had  oc 
casion  to  observe  anything  of  the  kind.  It 
is  very  certain  that  I  don't  have  a  chance  to 
prove  my  admiration  by  making  any  purchases 
in  these  days.  I'm  always  ashamed  to  go 
shopping  with  any  of  the  ladies  in  the  house. 
I  am  the  only  one  among  them  who  never 
has  any  money  to  spend." 

"No,  that's  a  great  trouble  of  yours;  you 
never  have  any  money  to  spend,  because  you 
can't  keep  any  until  you  need  to  spend  it. 
Somebody  spends  a  good  deal  more  than  I 
can  earn,  I  know.  I  wonder  who  it  is;  not 
this  chap,  anyhow.  I've  practised  economy  to 
a  degree  that  I  never  imagined  possible  in 
my  bachelor  days." 

"  Oh,  yes  !  you  are  a  pattern  of  economy." 

The  tone  was  so  severely  mocking  that 
Will  Coleman,  albeit  he  had  provoked  it  by 
his  own  rudeness,  was  startled,  and  looked  over 


418  The  Pocket  Measure. 

the  paper  he  was  pretending  to  read,  studying 
his  wife  with  a  curious  sense  of  wonder  that 
one  whom  he  used  to  know  as  Jennie  West  could 
use  such  words  and  such  an  accent.  One  great 
difficulty  with  the  poor  young  husband  was, 
that  though  he  distinctly  saw  the  change  in 
her,  he  did  not  realize  a  corresponding  one  in 
himself. 

The  cruel,  mocking  tones  went  on : 
"  You  never  buy  ices  or  fruits  or  dainty 
little  lunches,  or  indulge  in  soothing  trips  up 
the  lake  at  fifty  cents  an  hour.  If  I  were  you. 
I  wouldn't  talk  about  economy.  I  was  always 
considered  an  economist  before  I  was  married ; 
but  I  wasn't  in  a  perpetual  state  of  beggarli- 
ness  as  I  am  nowadays." 

Now  the  truth  was,  that  Will  Coleman,  hi 
the  days  of  his  bachelorhood,  had  been  so  ac 
customed  to  indulging  in  these  which  he  was 
pleased  to  call  trifling  expenditures,  that  the 
habits  were  upon  him  ;  and  during  the  earlier 
months  of  his  married  life  he  had  continued 
them  thoughtlessly,  though  rarely  without 
bringing  his  wife  something  which  he  called  "  an 
equivalent,"  in  the  shape  of  fruits  or  bon-bons. 


Measured  in  Prose.  419 

Very  soon,  however,  he  discovered  that  all 
these  things  were  really  alarming  leaks,  and 
he  was  struggling  manfully,  if  one  can  apply 
the  word  to  so  childish  a  habit,  to  avoid  all 
unnecessary  expenses.  It  is  true  that  his 
definition  of  the  term  "  unnecessary "  needed 
correcting,  but  all  the  same  he  considered  him 
self  a  slandered  man,  and  his  face  flushed 
painfully  during  the  earlier  part  of  the  sen 
tence  ;  but  by  the  time  Jennie  had  announced 
herself  as  having  been  considered  an  economist 
in  the  days  of  her  maidenhood,  he  was  ready 
to  laugh.  No  one  knew  better  than  he  how 
persistently  all  her  loose  change  had  lost  itself 
in  the  vortex  of  ribbons,  laces,  gloves  and 
the  like.  The  consciousness  that  she  was 
really  saying  a  foolish  thing  made  Mrs.  Cole- 
man  sensitive  to  her  husband's  laugh,  and  in 
no  way  softened  her  voice : 

"  Oh  yes,  you  laugh,  of  course.  That  is 
your  favorite  method  of  treating  your  wife's 
views  and  opinions ;  but  I  can  assure  you 
that  I  never  dreamed  of  having  to  twist  and 
turn  through  life  in  this  way.  If  I  had,  I 


420  The  Pocket  Measure. 

should  have  considered  long,  before  I  put  my 
self  in  such  a  position." 

"You  ought  to  have  married  a  rich  man." 
Her  husband's  voice  was  controlled,  and  she 
did  not  realize  how  her  words  had  stung  him. 

"I  wish  to  goodness  I  had,"  she  declared, 
driven  to  desperation  by  his  apparent  indif 
ference. 

"  Amen,"  he  replied  promptly,  and  with 
emphasis.  Then  he  turned  the  page  of  his 
paper  and  apparently  went  on  with  the  busi 
ness  of  reading  the  news.  As  for  Jennie,  she 
sat  looking  out  of  the  window  down  the  rows 
of  tall  chimneys  which  shut  out  all  other  view. 
Her  heart  was  swelling  with  indignation ;  she 
considered  herself  an  ill-used  woman. 

This  conversation,  miserable  though  it  was 
is  actually  a  fair  specimen  of  the  sort  of  talk 
in  which  these  two  often  indulged.  Do  you 
suppose  that  either  of  them  imagined  the  pos 
sibility  of  such  a  climax  to  that  heavenly  ride 
home  from  the  opera  ?  What  an  awful  fact  it 
is  to  have  to  record  that  there  were  times  in 
which  this  husband  and  wife  actually  wished 
that  the  results  which  followed  that  evening's 


Measured  in  Prose.  421 

pleasure  had  never  been.  Not  that  they  by 
any  means  hated  each  other,  or,  indeed,  were 
entirely  indifferent  to  each  other ;  but  the 
realities  of  married  life  had  been  too  much 
for  them,  as  they  will  be  for  all  who  do  not 
start  from  a  rock  foundation.  It  is  a  painful 
thing  to  admit,  but  scenes  like  the  one  through 
which  she  had  just  passed  were  really  too  com 
mon  to  weigh  with  lengthened  heaviness  on 
Jennie  Coleman,  or  make  her  long  silent,  when 
she  had  an  item  of  importance  to  communi 
cate.  So  she  presently  broke  the  stillness  with 
a  question  : 

"  What  do  you  suppose  Dane  Evans  has 
done  now?  " 

"  It  is  entirely  beyond  me  to  guess  ;  some 
thing  unparalleled  in  folly,  to  judge  from  your 
tone." 

"  He  will  be  likely  to  consider  it  folly  before 
he  gets  through  with  it." 

This  sentence  not  whetting  her  husband's 
curiosity  sufficiently  to  call  forth  a  question, 
she  continued : 

"  Have  you  seen  him  to-day  ?  Perhaps  you 
know  the  whole  story  ?  " 


422  The  Pocket  Measure. 

"  Haven't  seen  him  in  three  weeks ;  he  and 
Spfifford  have  so  much  in  common  nowadays 
that  he  has  no  time  for  me." 

"  Well,  he  has  thrown  up  his  situation." 

"What!" 

"  Yes,  he  has ;  Mrs.  Peterson  told  me  at 
lunch ;  and  her  husband  is  in  the  same  office, 
you  know,  and  heard  all  about  it." 

"  What  has  he  done  it  for  ?  " 

"  For  a  piece  of  folly,  or  sentimentality. 
Dane  always  was  sentimental,  in  streaks ;  he 
never  would  have  married  Eva  if  he  hadn't 
been." 

"  What  is  he  going  to  do  ?  " 

"  Nothing  ;  live  on  his  conscience,  I  suppose  ; 
he  professes  it  as  a  conscientious  movement; 
I  should  think  it  had  taken  his  conscience  a 
long  time  to  enlighten  him ;  he  has  been  there 
nearly  ten  years." 

"  Mrs.  Coleman,  enlighten  me ;  what  has 
conscience  to  do  with  Evan's  clerkship  ?  They 
haven't  been  requiring  Sunday  work,  have 
they  ?  And  if  they  did,  it  wouldn't  be  any 
worse  than  Sunday  lounging  or  Sunday  riding, 
I  should  think ;  he  has  done  enough  of  both ; 


Measured  in  Prose.  423 

to  be  sure,  though,  he  may  have  been  taken 
with  a  desire  to  copy  Spafford." 

"  That  is  just  what  it  is  ;  he  is  trying  to  copy 
Mr.  Spafford,  and  Gallic  sets  him  a  copy  which 
he  dutifully  follows.  Now  she  is  enlarging 
her  circle  and  taking  Dane  and  Eva  completely 
under  her  control." 

"  You  haven't  enlightened  me  yet  as  to 
what  it  is  all  about." 

"  Why,  can't  you  see  ?  "  —  with  a  strong 
flavor  of  impatience  in  her  voice  —  "your  con 
science  is  certainly  not  tender  on  the  subject ; 
he  has  decided  that  to  be  clerk  in  a  liquor 
dealing  establishment  is  a  sin ;  therefore  he 
has  thrown  up  his  situation,  and  is  going  to 
live  on  public  charity,  or  church  charity ;  I 
hear  he  is  going  to  unite  with  the  church 
next  Sunday;  I  suppose  they'll  support  him, 
and  call  him  a  martyr  for  a  few  weeks,  until 
they  get  tired  of  him,  then  they  will  throw  him 
off,  and  he  may  go  to  the  poor-house  for  all 
they  will  care.  I  must  say  I'm  sorry  for  Eva. 
Papa  never  thought  Dane  Evans  would  amount 
to  much,  and  it  seems  he  wasn't  mistaken." 

"  Do  you  really  mean  that  Evans  has  given 


424  >    The  Pocket  Measure. 

up  there,  with  no  other  opportunity  opening, 
and  no  knowledge  of  what  he  will  do  next ! 
And  there  hasn't  been  any  quarrel  or  dissatis 
faction,  or  something  of  that  sort?" 

"  Yes,  he  has  done  just  that.  Mrs.  Peterson 
said  the  firm  argued  with  him,  expressed  their 
entire  satisfaction ;  asked  if  he  had  other  pros 
pects,  and  hinted  pretty  plainly  that  if  it  was 
a  question  of  salary  they  were  ready  to  do  as 
well  by  him  as  any  other  firm  ;  but  he  boldly 
declared  he  could  not  stay  if  they  doubled  his 
salary;  that  money  had  nothing  to  do  with  it; 
he  had  no  place  in  view,  no  prospects ;  it  was 
purely  a  question  of  principle ;  said  he  had 
been  thinking  the  matter  over  for  a  long  time, 
but  had  only  recently  come  to  a  definite  con 
clusion.  That  means  since  Callie  Spafford 
came  home.  She  is  such  a  born  fanatic  herself 
that  she  cannot  rest  easy  on  her  pillow  until 
she  sees  some  one  preparing  to  become  as  wild 
a  lunatic  as  herself." 

Will  Colemari's  paper  had  dropped  to  the 
floor,  and  his  eyes  were  gazing  into  vacancy  in 
a  thoughtful  way;  whether  he  had  heard  the 
last  few  sentences  did  not  appear,  but  what  he 


Measured  in  Prose.  425 

said    was    entirely    foreign     to    their    tenor : 
"  I   must    say    that   is    astounding !      Dane 
Evans   is  more  of  a  man  thau  I  had  the  least 
idea  of." 

Now  there  was  that  in  this  sentence  which 
irritated  Mrs.  Coleman  almost  beyond  control; 
she  could  not  herself  have  defined  what  it  was, 
at  least  she  would  not  have  liked  to  do  so,  but 
she  answered,  with  increasing  asperity: 

"  Indeed  !  your  penetration  is  entirely  beyond 
me ;  I  fail  to  see  the  slightest  evidence  of  man 
hood,  or  even  common-sense,  in  such  an  idiotic 
proceeding  as  this.  It  may  be  a  cause  for  ad 
miration,  to  see  a  man  deliberately  shirk  his 
only  means  for  supporting  a  wife,  and  hide  be 
hind  an  affectation  of  principle,  but  as  I  said, 
I  fail  to  see  it  in  that  light.  However,  my  eyes 
are  getting  opened  ;  you  gentlemen  who  have 
always  been  such  ardent  admirers  of  Callie 
Spafford  stand  ready  to  follow  her  lead  without 
regard  to  common-sense.  I  shall  expect  next 
to  be  informed  that  your  conscience  won't 
allow  you  to  sell  eggs  and  butter  and  cheese 
for  Mr.  Prime  any  more,  because  his  other 
branch  store  sells  tobacco  and  cider  vinegar !  " 


426  The  Pocket  Measure. 

Her  husband  laughed,  and  stooped  down 
and  picked  up  his  paper.  If  his  wife  had  not 
been  too  much  excited  to  observe  it,  she  would 
have  felt  that  his  laugh  was  exceedingly  un 
pleasant  in  its  tone  ;  so  was  his  voice  : 

"  Don't  you  be  afraid  of  any  such  catas 
trophe  ;  I  have  been  tutored  by  a  very  different 
feminine  from  your  friend  Mrs.  Spafford;  I 
know  better  than  to  indulge  in  any  such  ex 
pensive  principles.  At  the  same  time  I  am  not 
so  reduced  but  that  I  can  admire  high-toned 
actions  in  another,  and  I  say  Dane  Evans  is 
more  of  a  man  than  I  had  the  least  idea  of.  If 
I  were  rich  I'd  see  to  it  that  he  didn't  suffer 
for  his  convictions,  and  his  determination  to 
carry  them  out.  As  it  is,  I  can  only  admire  at 
a  distance  ;  I  have  no  hopes  of  ever  emulating. 
Meantime,  /  have  an  item  of  news  to  commu 
nicate  ;  Evans  isn't  the  only  man  who  has 
planned  a  change  of  base  ;  I've  given  up  my 
clerkship  :  no  more  '  butter  and  eggs '  to  sell ; 
so  you  see  you  needn't  fear  my  being  demor 
alized  about  the  tobacco  and  cider." 

His  wife  turned  entirety  away  from  the  win 
dow  and  gazed  at  her  husband  with  a  half- 


Measured  in  Prose.  427 

frightened,  half-incredulous  air ;  she  did  not 
know  what  she  feared  ;  it  could  not  be  that 
any  such  scruples  as  Dane  Evans  had  yielded 
to  could  have  crossed  his  path;  so  far  as  she 
knew  there  was  no  opportunity  in  his  work 
for  conscientious  scruples  ;  and  also  if  there  had 
been,  she  had  lost  her  former  idea  of  him ;  she 
never  quoted  him  in  her  thoughts  any  more  as 
a  "perfect  Christian  gentleman."  She  waited 
a  moment,  then  said : 

"  Well,  why  don't  you  explain  ?  What  do 
you  mean?" 

"  Wasn't  my  meaning  plain  ?  I  said  I  had 
given  up  my  clerkship." 

"  And  what  do  you  mean  to  do  now  ?  Starve 
in  company  with  my  half-witted  cousins  ? " 

"  No,  I  never  expect  to  starve  in  such  good 
company.  Evans  has  gotten  ahead  of  me, 
somehow  ;  a  few  years  ago  I  used  to  be  quoted 
as  immensely  beyond  him  '  spiritualty,'  what 
ever  that  may  mean,"  and  the  sentence  ended 
with  that  disagreeable  laugh. 

His  wife  was  growing  alarmed. 

"Mr.  Coleman,"  she  said,  haughtily,  "if  you 
can  manage  to  be  serious  long  enough  to  tell 


428  The  Pocket  Measure. 

me  what  you  are  talking  about  I  should  be 
glad ;  you  certainly  appear  very  strange  to 
night." 

"  Do  I  ?  That  is  because  I  have  made  such 
a  violent  effort  to  give  you  pleasure  to-day, 
and  am  succeeding  so  well  I  I  have  taken  a 
leap  into  respectability  such  as  once  I  had  no 
idea  of.  I'm  Fargo,  Belmont  &  Co.'s  confiden 
tial  clerk ;  salary  two  thousand  a  year ;  you 
can  hunt  a  new  boarding  place,  arid  get  a  forty- 
dollar  bonnet  and  three  pairs  of  ten-button  kids 
as  soon  as  you  please." 

"  Who   are    Fargo,   Belmont  &  Co  ?  " 

"  Wholesale  liquor-dealers ;  the  most  ex 
tensive  firm  in  the  city.  Oh.  it  is  eminently 
respectable.  They  never  sell  less  than  a  barrel 
of  it  at  a  time  I  " 

"  But,  Will,  you  will  not  have  to  sell 
liquor  ?  " 

The  evident  dismay  in  her  tone  seemed  to 
amuse  him : 

"  No,"  he  said,  with  a  burst  of  laughter ; 
"  oh,  no,  not  at  all  ;  I  only  keep  a  sharp  look 
out  that  other  people  buy  plenty  of  it,  and  pay 
for  it." 


CHAPTER    XXV. 

SHIRKING    RESPONSIBILITY. 

>ER  husband's  communication  had  filled 
Mrs.  Coleman  with  astonishment.  She 
had,  it  is  true,  been  the  prime  factor 
in  bringing  about  this  change  in  his  business; 
but  she  did  not  realize  it.  The  simple  fact 
is  that  Jennie  Coleman  had  been  one  of  those 
girls,  and  had  become  one  of  those  women, 
who  do  not  realize  anything.  Individual 
responsibility  was  a  question  that  she  had 
not  studied.  She  had  married,  as  many  another 
has,  without  any  distinct  idea  of  the  re 
sponsibilities  of  married  life.  Take,  for  in 
stance,  that  one  question,  money,  which  really 
from  first  to  last  is  productive  of  more  evil, 
429 


430  The  Pocket  Measure. 

perhaps,  than  any  other  domestic  question 
under  the  sun;  and  when  Jennie  Coleman 
assumed  her  place  ID  life  as  a  matron,  what 
did  she  know  about  it?  Her  father  called 
himself  poor,  and  her  life  had  been  a  struggle, 
she  believed,  with  poverty;  but  her  idea  of 
struggling  was  to  coax  her  father,  and  in 
later  years  her  mother,  until  she  succeeded  in 
making  them  realize  that  she  must  buy  the 
thing  she  wanted,  or  must  go  to  the  place  she 
selected,  or  mast  do  the  thing  she  pleased ; 
and  once  convinced,  the  money  was  forth 
coming  somehow.  Why  should  it  not  be  the 
case  in  her  married  life?  Her  father  had  al 
ways  been  managed,  why  should  not  her 
husband  need  management  ?  She  utterly  ig 
nored,  or  to  do  her  justice  she  never  under 
stood,  the  difference  between  a  man  of  business, 
who  though  it  may  press  him  hard,  and  he 
may  think  the  demand  unnecessary  and  there 
fore  foolish  can  nevertheless  secure  a  few 
hundred  dollars  additional,  and  push  through 
from  year  to  year,  and  a  young  clerk  whose 
entire  resources  are  covered  by  his  monthly 
salary,  and  who  can  no  more  command  an 


Shirking  Responsibility.  431 

additional  hundred  or  two  than  he  can  command 
an  extra  pair  of  hands  to  meet  emergencies. 
Utterly  failing  to  recognize  this  difference, 
of  course  Mrs.  Coleman  had  seen  trouble. 
And  trouble  in  various  forms  was  deepening 
around  her.  She  was  opening  her  eyes  daily 
to  the  fact  that  her  marriage  was  a  sickening 
failure.  Her  husband  did  not  satisfy  her, 
and  it  was  a  humiliating  truth  that  she  evi 
dently  did  not  satisfy  him.  Did  she  then  really 
love  her  husband?  Or  to  go  back  of  that, 
had  she  ever  loved  him  ?  In  all  honesty  and 
solemnity  I  have  to  answer  NO ;  I  do  not 
think  she.  ever  had.  She  admired  him,  she  liked 
him,  she  was  fascinated  by  his  faultless"  man 
ners  and  careful  dress,  and  marked  ad 
miration  of  herself,  and  she  labelled  these  feel 
ings  "love,"  when  she  ought  to  have  known 
that  genuine  love  is  both  unse]fish  and  dis 
criminating.  He,  on  his  part,  reached  but 
very  little  higher  in  his  views  and  feelings, 
except  that  he  fancied  himself  ready  to  give 
her  all  he  could ;  to  take  upon  himself  the 
responsibility  of  her  support,  to  labor  for 
her  from  day  to  day ;  in  short,  he  realized, 


432  The  Pocket  Measure. 

of  course,  that  he  was  giving,  and,  at  times 
at  least,  was  willing  to  give ;  while  she  realized 
that  she  was  accepting,  and  stood  at  all  times 
ready  to  accept,  whatever  he  could  be  pre 
vailed  upon  to  give  her.  Oh,  I  realize  my 
own  failure  in  trying  to  put  this  difficulty, 
that  is  as  old  as  the  world,  into  words.  It 
is  an  oft  told  story.  I  tell  you  the  excite 
ment  of  the  opera  or  theater,  or  of  fashionable 
party  life,  do  not  fit  people  to  make  wise, 
deliberate,  unselfish  choices  for  life's  journey. 
These  two  people  had  met  each  other  a  hundred 
times,  when  they  were  well  dressed  and  in 
society,  and  doing  their  best  to  shine.  It 
was  actually  almost  all  they  knew  of  each 
other  until  they  met  in  that  shabby  genteel 
boarding-house,  bound  to  be  companions,  in 
hours  when  neither  felt  like  making  the  slight 
est  effort  to  shine  in  any  way.  Well,  was 
the  ship-wreck  which  they  were  making  of 
it  absolutely  neccessary  even  then  ?  No ; 
oh,  no  ! 

"  Utter  shipwreck  of  human  happiness  is 
rarely,  thank  God,  a  necessity;  even  though 
grievous  blunders  have  been  made.  If  Jennie 


Shirking  Responsibility.  433 

Coleman  had  but  begun  her  married  life  as  a 
Christian  woman,  recognizing  the  respon 
sibilities  that  she  had  assumed  before  God, 
resolved  to  struggle  with  her  faults,  resolved 
to  bear  with  the  faults  of  her  husband,  false 
and  foolish  as  her  ideas  of  married  life  were, 
she  would  have  saved  her  heart  from  ruin, 
and  possibly  have  been  the  human  means  of 
saving  her  husband's  soul.  But  the  greatest 
pity  about  it  all  was,  that  she  professed  what 
her  keen-eyed  husband  came  to  believe  she 
did  not  possess ;  or  almost  worse  conclusion 
still,  if  she  did  possess  it,  he  wanted  none 
of  it! 

And  so,  starting  from  narrow  and  selfish 
points,  and  dropping  lower  in  the  scale  each 
day,  at  this  time  barely  fourteen  months 
since  they  stood  together  at  the  altar  and 
pledged  each  other  in  irrevocable  vows,  this 
husband  had  come  to  believe  that  what  his 
wife  wanted  was  money,  however  earned  she 
did  not  care ;  money  with  which  she  could 
dress  well,  and  ride  where  she  chose,  and 
have  a  good  time  generally  with  him  for  an 
unexceptionable  attendant ;  and  she  believed 


434  The  Pocket  Measure. 

that  what  he  wanted  was  to  spend  his  money 
on  himself,  shutting  her  out ;  and  both  be 
lieved  that  to  have  gone  their  separate  wa}rs 
would  have  made  them  happier !  And  it 
was  still  their  individual  happiness,  and  noth 
ing  else,  that  both  were  eagerly  after.  What 
but  misery  could  there  be  in  store  for  them  ? 
It  seems  now  to  be  necessary  to  give  you  a 
careful  view  of  this  sudden  change  of  business. 
Unlike  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Evans,  this  couple,  in 
their  parental  homes,  had  come  up  under 
the  shadow  of  a  stanch  temperance,  or  rather 
total  abstinence,  regime.  Both  grandfathers 
had  been  pioneers  in  the  temperance  movement, 
in  the  days  when  to  be  openly  connected  with 
such  movements  required  heroism.  The  next 
generation  on  Jennie's  side,  it  is  true,  had 
weakened  a  little,  but  still  her  father  held 
strongly  enough  tl«at  to  be  connected  in  any 
sense  with  the  making  or  selling  of  intoxicants 
was  a  very  low  social  position.  While  Will 
Coleman  had  reason  to  feel  as  though  his 
long  dead  father  would  rise  out  of  his  grave, 
if  he  could,  to  rebuke  his  son  for  laxness 
in  this  matter.  Now  you  may  understand 


Shirking  Responsibility.  435 

what  a  leap  downward  the  change  of  business 
was.  Down  lower,  it  is  true,  for  the  man 
than  for  the  woman,  because  he  covered 
his  position  with  no  foolish  subterfuges  such 
as  brains  can  see  through  in  a  moment.  He 
fully  realized  that  he  was  connecting  himself 
with  the  liquor  traffic.  But  he  realized  also 
another  thing,  and  it  was  this  which  increased 
his  bitterness:  that  his  wife  would  see  the 
increased  salary  more  plainly  than  she  would 
anything  else,  and  would  make  no  op 
position. 

Neither  did  she,  to  him,  beyond  that  first 
startled  question  over  which  he  had  laughed 
in  sarcasm.  Then  she  gave  herself  up  to  what 
she  told  herself  was  the  inevitable.  "  Will 
always  does  exactly  as  he  likes ;  /  have  no  in 
fluence  with  him."  And  she  dressed  herself 
carefully,  and  set  out  on  the  pleasant  task  of 
looking  up  a  more  congenial  boarding-place, 
better  suited  to  their  increased  means. 

It  was  when  the  plans  connected  with  their 
removal  were  nearly  completed  that  Mrs.  Evans 
came  to  call.  Jennie  went  very  slowly  down 
stairs,  glad  of  the  confusion  in  her  room,  which 


436  The  Pocket  Measure. 

prevented,  receiving  her  cousin  there,  and 
hoping  that  the  parlor  would  be  so  occupied 
as  to  afford  no  chance  for  a  tete-a-tete ;  not 
choosing  meantime  to  define  to  herself  the 
reason  why  she  desired  to  avoid  a  private  inter 
view.  There  were  many  things  in  life,  which 
Jennie  Coleman  might  have  seen  had  she  chosen 
to  look  at  them.  Her  hopes  were  vain,  the 
parlor  was  deserted,  and  Mrs.  Evans  occupied 
the  little  tete-a-tete  alone.  Mrs.  Coleman, 
resolved  on  taking  the  defensive  at  once,  ex 
plained  that  her  room  was  so  dismantled  by 
reason  of  preparations  for  moving  that  it  was 
not  habitable. " 

"  Then  it  is  true,"  said  Mrs.  Evans,  eagerly  ; 
"  I  heard  that  you  were  going  to  move  ;  where 
do  you  go,  and  why  ?  Oh,  Jennie,  I  hope  that 
the  rest  of  what  I  heard  is  false." 

Mrs.  Coleman,  ignoring  the  latter  part  of 
this  sentence,  calmly  and  not  without  evident 
satisfaction,  explained  that  they  were  about  to 
go  to  the  Central  Avenue  boarding-house ; 
that  they  were  to  have  a  room  on  the  second 
floor,  larger,  and  in  every  way  pleasanter  than 
the  one  they  were  leaving ;  and  that  it  would 


Shirking  Responsibility.  437 

be  in  every  way  an  advantage  to  them ;  the 
class  of  boarders  was  superior,  the  style  of  tho 
house  unexceptionable,  and,  besides,  it  would 
be  so  much  more  convenient  for  Will." 

"  Oh,  then  it  is  true  that  he  is  going  into 
Fargo  &  Belmont's  employ  !  " —  the  exceeding 
disappointment  in  her  cousin's  tones  was  very 
apparent — "I  didn't  believe  it  when  I  heard  the 
report.  It  seemed  unlike  .  Will ;  oh,  Jennie, 
how  could  you  let  him  do  it  ?  " 

"  What  are  you  talking  about  ? "  said  Mrs. 
Coleman,  her  face  flushing,  but  struggling  to 
retain  a  composed,  good-natured  voice.  "  I 
should  think  it  was  a  subject  for  congratulation 
that  we  were  to  have  as  much  again  income. 
We  have  certainly  demonstrated  the  impos 
sibility  of  living  respectably  on  the  small  sum 
that  we  had.  As  for  letting  Will  do  it,  you 
ought  to  know  by  this  time  how  certain  a  man 
is  to  do  as  he  pleases  without  regard  to  a 
woman's  advice.  I  did  not  know  the  least 
thing  about  this  matter  until  it  was  all  settled." 

She  was  not  prepared  for  the  sudden,  pleased 
light  in  Mrs.  Evans'  eyes. 

"  Did    you    not  ? "    she    said,   still    speaking 


438  The  Pocket  Measure. 

eagerly ;  "  I  am  so  glad  to  hear  it ;  I  was  afraid 
you  had  been  tempted  to  yield  to  it  because 
of  the  salary,  but  now  you  are  in  a  position  to 
protest.  I  am  sure,  Jennie,  that  you  can  influ 
ence  Will.  It  is  for  your  sake  he  is  so  anxious 
to  secure  a  larger  income.  Most  men  care 
for  money  only  on  account  of  their  family.  I 
think  Will  is  peculiarly  one  of  that  kind. 
See  for  how  many  years  he  has  been  content 
to  work  away  in  the  store.  He  is  thought  so 
much  of  there,  too.  Dane  says  there  is  a 
certainty  of  his  being  promoted  in  time.  Oh, 
you  will  find  that  you  can  influence  him  ;  in 
fact,  Jennie,  I  believe  he  will  be  relieved  and 
thankful  to  see  that  you  are  unwilling  to  have 
him  make  more  money  at  the  expense  of 
conscience.  He  has  told  Dane  more  than  once 
how  it  chafed  him  to  think  that  he  could  not 
give  you  the  position  in  society  that  you  were 
fitted  to  take.  Now  when  he  finds  that  you 
care  more  for  his  highest  interests  than  for 
any  position  which  the  world  can  offer,  he  will 
not  only  be  influenced,  but  touched." 

It  was  a   long    speech   for    Mrs.    Evans  to 
make.     She  was  not  a  woman  of  many  words, 


Shirking  Responsibility.  439 

you  will  remember ;  and  Jennie,  in  the  midst 
of  her  embarrassment  —  not  to  say  indignation 
—  felt  a  sense  of  wonderment  over  the  excite 
ment  and  eloquence  of  her  quiet  cousin.  Still 
she  answered  with  impatience  : 

"I'm  sure  I  don't  know  what  you  mean. 
Don't  soar  into  the  heroic  quite  so  much  talk 
ing  about  Will's  '  higher  interests,'  and  all  that 
nonsense.  I  assure  you  he  is  no  more  fond  of 
poverty  than  I  am,  and  has  chafed  under  it 
quite  as  much.  As  for  promotion,  he  has  been 
contented  to  plod  along  on  the  strength  of  that 
long  enough.  I  am  glad  for  my  part  that  he 
has  had  the  manliness  to  arouse  himself  and 
make  a  better  provision  for  his  family  ;  though 
I  am  sure  I  did  not  urge  him  to  do  it." 

"  But,  Jennie,  why  don't  you  urge  him 
against  it  ?  How  can  you  endure  it  to  have 
him  engage  in  such  a  business  as  that?" 

"  Really,  "  and  Mrs.  Coleman's  laugh  was 
almost  as  disagreeable  as  the  one  her  husband 
had  recently  cultivated ;  "  that  is  a  very  strange 
way  to  talk  when  one  remembers  that  you  and 
Dane  have  been  living  on  the  same  business 
for  years.  Your  horror  is  decidedly  extreme 


440  The  Pocket  Measure. 

I  should  sa3%  considering  the  recoil  from  it  has 
been  so  recent." 

"  It  isn't  quite  the  same  position,  Jennie. 
Dane  was  only  a  book-keeper. 

Mrs.  Evans'  voice  was  lower,  and  the  flush 
on  her  cheek  had  deepened.  Mrs.  Coleman 
did  not  realize  what  a  fresh  impulse  she  had 
given  to  her  cousin's  hatred  of  the  business  by 
this  home  thrust,  nor  how  thankful  she  grew 
over  the  fact  that  now,  at  least,  she  was  free 
from  the  stain. 

"  Oh,  that  is  all  nonsense,"  declared  Jennie, 
loftily ;  "  no  one  but  a  child  would  think  of 
making  such  distinctions.  Dane  was  just  as 
much  connected  with  the  sale  of  liquor  as 
Will  will  be.  Only  Will's  position  is  one  of 
greater  trust  and  his  salary  higher." 

"But,"  declared  Mrs.  Evans,  "Dane  is  free 
from  it  now,  you  know,  forever.  I  heartily 
wish  he  had  been  long  ago.  I  take  shame  to 
myself  that  my  eyes  were  not  wider  open." 

"  He  is  free  from  everything  that  is  calcu 
lated  to  support  you,  I  should  judge,  from  all 
I  hear.  What  is  he  doing  for  a  living?" 

Perhaps   Mrs.   Evans   would   not  have   been 


Shirking  Responsibility.  441 

human  had  not  the  blood  rushed  violently 
even  to  her  very  temples  at  this  cold  home 
thrust :  but  she  answered  still  with  a  quiet 
voice  : 

"  He  has  not  found  any  position  as  yet,  but 
of  course  he  hopes  to  very  soon ;  meantime, 
we  are  not  suffering,  and  we  have  grand 
friends." 

"Living  on  charity!  I  suppose  as  much. 
I  wonder  what  your  mother  would  think  of 
that?  Well,  Eva,  I  must  say  I  think  that 
you  and  Dane  are  two  fools!  That  is  plain 
language  I  know,  but  the  occasion  demands 
it.  The  idea  of  his  giving  up  a  clerkship 
that  he  has  held  so  many  years,  for  the  sake 
of  a  passing  whim  suggested  to  him  by  other 
people.  I'm  sure  if  Will  were  as  much  influenced 
by  the  opinion  of  other  women  as  Dane  is, 
I  should  be  sorry  for  him.  The  idea  of  Dane 
trying  to  follow  Callie  Spafford  through  all 
her  fanatical  absurdities  is  simply  ridiculous; 
and  you  will  see  it  in  that  light  one  of  these 
days.  I  could  never  have  believed  that  you 
would  be  such  an  idiot.  If  anything  would  drive 
Will  into  the  very  midst  of  the  business,  it 


442  The  Pocket  Measure. 

is  to  see  you  and  Dane  shrinking  in  such 
fanatical  horror  from  it :  actually  willing  to 
be  dependent  on  the  charity  of  your  poor 
neighbors ! " 

I  do  not  know  that  Mrs.  Evans  said  a 
word  more  than  she  had  meant  to  say  when 
she  left  home  that  afternoon,  provided  there 
should  be  occasion  for  such  plainness  of  speech  ; 
but  I  think  she  may  have  said  it  more  suddenly, 
and  less  tenderly,  than,  but  for  this  strong 
provocation  she  might  have  done.  Her  voice 
was  still  low,  but  it  was  the  sort  of  lowness 
that  betokens  intense  self-control. 

"Jennie,  we  need  not  discuss  my  husband's 
prospects  or  fanaticism.  If  his  recent  step 
was  demanded  of  him  by  his  conscience 
God  can  take  care  of  the  results ;  he  and  I, 
are  both  willing  to  trust  our  future  in  God's 
hands.  But  there  is  an  entirely  different 
question  involved  in  your  husband's  position ; 
aside  from  a  question  of  right  or  wrong, 
is  it  possible  that  you  do  not  know  what 
everybody  else  sees,  that  it  is  placing  Will 
right  in  the  line  of  his  most  awful  tempta 
tion  ?  Don't  you  know  that  the  habit  of 


Shirking  Responsibility. 

drinking  freely  is  growing  on  him  every  day, 
and  that  he  is  in  awful  danger  of  becoming 
a  drunkard?  Jennie  Coleman,  you  might 
almost  wish  to  see  him  buried,  rather  than 
launched  on  such  a  whirlpool  as  that  into 
which  he  is  entering.  I  came  this  afternoon 
to  beg  of  you  to  use  your  influence  to  save 
him.  I  know  you  can  do  it." 

Now  was  Mrs.  Will  Coleman  angry!  More 
angry  than  she  ever  remembered  being  in 
her  life  before.  She  arose  from  her  seat  and 
came  over  to  where  her  cousin  was  sitting 
and  stood  before  her,  her  eyes  blazing  like 
two  stars,  and  spoke  in  slow,  measured 
tones  : 

"  Mrs.  Evans,  excuse  me  for  saying  that 
I  think  you  have  made  your  call  of  sufficient 
length,  and  I  decline  talking  with  you  any 
longer,  or  receiving  further  calls  from  you. 
When  a  woman  stoops  to  the  act  of  insulting 
another  woman's  husband,  incited  thereto  by 
a  feeling  of  petty  envy  because  her  own 
husband  has  been  a  fool,  and  because  the  other 
is  a  rising  business  man,  I  think  it  is  quite 
time  that  those  two  women  should  become 


444  The  Pocket  Measure. 

strangers.  You  have  chosen  to  uphold  your 
husband  in  a  piece  of  lazy  folly.  I  hope  you 
will  not  starve  in  consequence ;  indeed,  we 
will  see  to  it,  my  slandered  husband  and  I, 
that  you  do  not  actually  suffer  want;  but 
as  for  being  cousins  any  longer,  or  friends. 
I  have  no  desire  to  claim  the  position." 

Then  she  gathered  her  silken  robes  about 
her  and  sailed  majestically  out  of  the 
room. 

As  for  Mrs.  Evans,  she  did  just  what  you 
might  suppose  her  to  do  next.  She  burst 
into  tears  and  sunk  in  a  little  crushed  heap 
on  the  sofa  in  that  great  deserted  parlor. 
Only  a  few  minutes  for  crying ;  then  she  arose, 
dried  her  eyes,  rearranged  her  disordered 
bonnet  as  best  she  could  (very  thankful  that 
the  parlor  was  deserted ),  let  herself  out  at 
the  front  door,  hailed  a  passing  car,  and 
went  home. 

What  about  the  angry  woman?  Well,  she, 
too,  cried,  as  soon  as  she  reached  her  room  — 
angry  tears.  She  had  not  the  slightest  idea 
of  using  her  influence  with  her  husband  to  al 
ter  his  business  arrangements.  Do  her  justice  ; 


Shirking  Responsibility.  445 

she  did  not  believe  she  had  influence  enough 
to  cause  him  to  change  his  plans ;  at  least, 
not  now,  after  they  had  been  announced  to 
the  world,  and  the  new  business  all  but  entered 
upon.  Also  do  her  justice  to  understand 
that  she  did  not  believe  a  word  of  the  warn 
ing.  Will  took  an  occasional  glass  of  wine, 
she  was  sorry  for  that ;  she  had  been  surprised, 
years  ago,  that  the  son  of  such  a  temperance 
worker  as  his  father  had  been,  should  be, 
ever  so  rarely  a  wine-drinker ;  but  she  did 
not  believe  that  the  habit  was  growing  on 
him.  She  did  not  in  the  remotest  degree 
fear  his  ever  being  a  drunkard.  The  idea ! 
when  his  grandfather  had  been  a  hero  in  the 
temperance  world  fifty  years  ago.  Besides, 
Will  was  a  gentleman,  she  still  believed  it ; 
he  would  never  be  a  common  drunkard ! 
What  unparalleled  imprudence  it  was  to  hint 
it  to  her,  his  wife.  But  being  a  wife,  why 
did  she  not  recoil  in  terror  from  the  bare 
suspicion  of  it,  as  it  was  hinted  by  other 
people,  and  throw  her  influence  powerfully  in 
the  scale  to  prove  its  falsity  ?  Oh,  dear ! 
here,  as  in  every  other  moment  of  her  life 


446  The  Pocket  Measure. 

where  plain  seeing  was  needed,  there  was  a 
glamor  over  Jennie  Coleraan's  eyes.  The 
simple  fact  is,  that  in  her  girlhood  she  had 
been,  just  as  often  as  she  could  bring  it  about 
an  attendant  at  the  theater.  She  had  wept 
over  spurious  woes  and  spurious  ruins  so  often  ; 
she  had  rejoiced  over  sham  heroic  deeds  so 
many  times;  she  had  applauded  mimic  virtues 
so  much  that  nothing  any  where  seemed  quite 
real  to  her.  She  had,  besides,  a  dangerous 
talent  for  the  dramatic.  It  hovered  over  even 
her  angry  talks  with  her  husband,  and  made 
her  almost  insensibly,  take  the  tragic  air  and 
manner  of  some  favorite  actress ;  and  it  is 
an  actual  fact,  that  real  as  her  anger  was  that 
day,  intense  as  she  supposed  her  feeling  of 
wifely  indignation  to  be,  while  she  answered 
Mrs.  Evans'  warning,  she  was  tormented  with 
the  suggestion  that  her  words  were  wonder 
fully  well  chosen,  her  manner  excellent,  and 
that  the  entire  scene  would  have  appeared  ex 
ceedingly  well  on  the  stage. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

MEASURING  ENTHUSIASM. 

;ANY  a  woman  who  is  the  fortunate 
slave  of  a  young  tyrant  at  home,  will 
be  in  a  condition  to  sympathize  with 
the  frantic  haste  which  Mrs.  Spafford  made 
on  a  certain  Tuesday  afternoon,  in  order  to 
be  on  time  at  the  missionary  meeting  down 
town.  An  annual  gathering,  and  one  of  special 
interest.  Young  Warren  had  so  monopolized 
his  mother  for  past  months  that  she  had  missed 
several  of  the  regular  meetings,  and  therefore 
felt  lost,  or  at  least  behind  the  times,  and  was 
particularly  anxious  to  secure  this  entire  after 
noon.  Notwithstanding  the  unceremonious 
way  in  which  she  disposed  of  her  toilet,  and 

447 


448  The  Pocket  Measure. 

the  skillful  quickstep  in  wliich  she  went  to  the 
car,  she  was  late  and  breathless  when  at  last 
the  usher  tip-toed  with  her  down  the  aisle  of 
the  well-filled  church.  Somebody  was  reading, 
and  embarrassed  as  she  was  by  her  haste  and 
tardiness,  she  paused  suddenly  as  she  heard  a 
voice  whisper  her  once  familiar  name :  "  Oh, 
Gallic  Howell ! "  Whose  voice  could  that  be? 
It  sounded  to  her  like  a  dream  from  out  a  long 
gone  past.  She  gazed  about  her  bewilderedly. 
Then  advanced  doubtfully  a  few  steps,  and 
felt  her  dress  gently  twitched  by  somebody  in 
the  side  aisle.  Whose  face  was  that?  Where 
had  she  seen  it?  Was  this  a  dream,  or  had 
she  dropped  back  ten,  fifteen,  nearly  twenty 
years  into  her  early  childhood  ?  She  took  the 
seat  made  for  her  by  systematic  crowding,  and 
held  out  her  hand  mechanically-  to  receive  the 
energetic  grasp  of  somebody : 

"  Have  you  forgotten  all  about  Sallie  Lewis  ?  " 
a  voice  whispered. 

Sallie  Lewis  !  Why,  no,  she  remembered 
her ;  she  was  a  young  lady  with  curls  and 
sweet,  blue  eyes ;  a  Sabbath-school  teacher,  her 
teacher,  and  the  little  girls,  herself  included, 


Measuring  Enthusiasm.  449 

used  to  call  her  their  "  dear  Miss  Sallie."  Yes, 
but  that  was  twenty  years  ago.  Miss  Sallie 
grew  old  of  course,  married,  went  away. 
Where  did  she  go  ?  Oh,  yes ;  she  married  a 
minister ;  went  to  India,  or  China,  or  some 
where.  Mrs.  Spafford  had  not  thought  of  her 
for  a  dozen  years;  but  all  these  events  came 
crowding  back  upon  her  memory,  called  up  by 
that  whispering  voice.  Then  she  turned  and 
looked  fully  at  the  lady.  There  were  no  curls  ; 
the  fair,  rosy  cheeks  were  sallow  and  wrinkled, 
but  the  blue  eyes  were  bright  and  smiling. 

"  Yes,  I  am  Sallie  Lewis,"  she  whispered, 
squeezing  Mrs.  Spafford's  hand  and  indulging 
in  a  softly  laugh,  "  and  you  are  my  dear  little 
roly-poly  Sabbath-school  rosebud,  Gallic  Howell. 
You  are  not  changed  so  very  much  after  all. 
Tropical  sunshine  hasn't  burned  all  the  fairness 
out  of  you,  you  see." 

Just  then  came  the  voice  of  prayer,  and  both 
ladies  bowed  their  heads,  and  Mrs.  Spafford 
had  time  to  call  back  her  startled  thoughts  and 
realize  that  she  was  living  in  the  present,  and  the 
sweet-faced,  worn  woman  beside  her  was  really 
her  old-time  teacher.  A  returned  missionary! 


450  The  Pocket  Measure. 

She  felt  a  sudden  accession  of  honor ;  she  was 
richer  in  friends  than  she  had  remembered. 
She  studied  the  quiet  face  beside  her  furtively, 
during  the  reading  of  the  reports  which  fol 
lowed,  trying  to  see  in  this  middle-aged,  and 
unmistakably  careworn  woman,  a  photograph 
of  their  beautiful  and  idolized  Miss  Sallie.  It 
was  hard  to  do  ;  she  had  evidently  borne  much 
of  the  heat  and  burden  of  the  day.  Her  youth 
ful  freshness  was  long  since  gone,  and  in  its 
'place  had  come  many  lines  of  care.  "I  have 
forgotten  her  name  ;  or,  let  me  see,  did  I  ever 
know  her  husband's  name  ?  What  a  shame 
not  to  have  kept  within  view  of  her  work,  arid 
she  my  old  teacher  !  "  This  was  Mrs.  Spafford's 
mental  comment  while  the  reading  of  the  re 
ports  went  on.  At  last  she  bent  toward  the 
lady,  who  still  clasped  her  hand  with  the  ten 
derness  that  the  child,  Gallic,  remembered  of 
old. 

"  I  don't  know  your  name  ?  "  she  whispered. 

Then  the  blue  eyes  that  she  remembered 
well,  flashed  upon  her  a  touch  of  their  old  arch 
ness,  as  she  spoke  a  name  well-known  in  mis 
sionary  circles  and  recognized  instantly  by 


Measuring  Enthusiasm.  451 

Mrs.  Spafford.  She  had  actually  read  extracts 
from  her  letters  in  public  meetings,  and  had 
never  known  that  she  was  quoting  from  Sallie 
Lewis. 

"  Oh,  I  don't  mean  that,"  she  whispered 
back  instantly ;  I  know  your  name  very  well, 
indeed  ;  I  mean  I  don't  know  you  ;  why  !  Oh, 
I  mean  —  "  and  then  both  ladies  laughed.  It 
was  all.  so  curious.  Then  directly,  of  course, 
they  sat  erect  and  gave  serious  attention  to 
those  reports.  The  idea  of  two  middle-aged 
ladies  laughing  in  a  religious  meeting,  and  one 
of  them  a  returned  missionary  !  Great  as  was 
her  eagerness  to  have  a  little  talk  with  her 
old  friend,  Mrs.  Spafford  could  not  but  become 
interested  in  what  was  soon  transpiring  around 
her.  The  very  reports  were  inspiriting.  The 
accession  of  members  had  been  large,  the  new 
auxiliaries  many,  during  the  past  year,  and  the 
treasurer's  report  so  far  surpassed  anything 
that  they  had  had  before,  and  anything  that 
had  been  expected,  that  the  ladies  clapped  their 
gloved  hands  with  energy,  before  its  reading 
was  concluded.  Then  several  of  the  speakers 
seemed  endowed  with  the  very  spirit  of  Christ 


452  The  Pocket  Measure, 

that  afternoon,  so  simply  eloquent  were  their 
appeals,  so  telling  the  incidents  which  they 
had  to  relate  of  sacrifice,  and  progress  and  re 
ward.  Peculiarly  was  this  the  case  with  Mrs. 
Temple's  closing  address;  her  heart  was  more 
than  ever  aglow.  She  had  prepared  herself 
carefully,  not  so  much  with  many  statistics,  as 
with  a  few  facts,  which  she  told  in  such  a  man 
ner  as  to  bow  many  heads  and  bring  to  the 
surface  real  heart  tears.  Mrs.  Spafford,  listen 
ing  to  her,  rejoicing  with  her  in  the  progress  of 
the  cause,  had  nearly  forgotten  the  honor  of 
her  own  position  in  sitting  beside  one  who  had 
actually  lived  the  experiences  to  which  Mrs. 
Temple  was  referring,  until  some  reference  to 
the  field  in  which  she  labored  made  her  turn 
suddenly  toward  her  friend  for  sympathy ;  she 
was  amazed  and  distressed  to  discover  that 
not  a  trace  of  sympathetic  feeling  could  be 
found  on  her  face ;  she  sat  erect,  composed 
and  almost  indifferent ;  nay,  there  was  worse 
than  indifference  on  her  face  ;  there  was  just 
the  shadow  of  a  smile  hovering  around  her 
mouth,  and  actually  a  sarcastic  curve  to  the 
upper  lip ;  the  very  curve  which  Callie  Howell 


Measuring  Enthusiasm.  453 

as  a  child  remembered  when  something  had  oc 
curred  to  rouse  her  bright  young  teacher's  op 
position.  What  could  be  the  explanation  ? 
Mrs.  Spafford  felt  a  cold  chill  at  her  heart,  and 
turned  her  head  quickly,  and  was  so  absorbed 
by  her  painful  wonderings  that  she  forgot  to 
join  in  the  solemn  doxology  which  presently 
filled  the  house.  The  shadow  of  her  discovery 
embarrassed  her,  so  that  when  the  meeting  for 
mally  closed,  and  the  missionary  turned  eagerly 
toward  her,  she  knew  not  what  to  say. 

"  Why  didn't  we  hear  from  you  this  after 
noon  ? "  was  her  first  wonderment  put  into 
words. 

"  Oh,  I  am  to  talk  this  evening  at  the 
union  meeting,"  she  said,  indifferently ;  "  I 
am  glad  to  be  relieved  from  duty  this  afternoon. 
Talking  doesn't  signify;  we  have  too  much  of 
that.  What  we  want  is  living. 

"  Of  course,"  assented  Mrs.  Spafford ;  "  but 
most  of  those  who  talk  at  this  meeting  are 
living,  too.  Do  you  know  Mrs.  Temple  ? 
You  will  know  her,  of  course.  She  is  very 
prominent  in  this  work,  and  such  a  grand 
woman.  Oh,  Sallie,  how  you  must  miss  such 


454  The  Pocket  Measure. 

gatherings  as  these  with  sympathetic  Christian 
women  all  around  you.  I  never  realized  it 
so  much  before ;  but  what  a  heavy  cross  it 
must  be  to  give  up  all  such  helps?" 

"  Do  you  think  so  ?  "  the  returned  missionary 
said,  and  there  was  a  strange  light  in  her  eyes. 
"  It  does  not  impress  me  in  that  way.  I 
wouldn't  live  in  this  country  again  for  any 
thing.  It  seems  to  me  I  should  suffocate. 

Her  cheeks  were  glowing,  and  her  whole 
manner  indicated  intense  feeling.  Her  listener 
stood  aghast.'* 

"  I  can't  think  what  you  mean,"  she  mur 
mured.  "  Of  course,  you  do  not  want  to  give 
up  your  work.  I  can  understand  that,  and 
of  course  it  is  a  blessed  work ;  but  I  thought 
there  were  sacrifices  to  make." 

"There  are,  but  they  do  not  come  to  me 
in  the  way  that  you  have  indicated.  I'm  not 
sure  that  I  can  make  my  meaning  plain.  You 
don't  know  how  it  impresses  me,  all  this,  and 
oppresses  me.  I  feel  as  though  you  were  all 
playing  at  missions.  Think  of  the  papers 
that  have  been  read  here  this  afternoon,  and 
the  addresses  that  have  been  made.  Every 


Measuring  Enthusiasm.  455 

one  of  them  referred  to  sacrifices,  and  rejoiced 
over  the  thought  of  being  counted  worthy  to 
bear  the  cross  for  Him.  Bah !  pardon  the  ex 
pression,  but  it  makes  me  sick.  What  have 
they  ever  sacrificed  for  Him  ?  What  do 
they  know  of  the  meaning  of  the  word?  Look 
around  you  on  every  side.  Do  you  see  any 
evidence  of  retrenchment  ?  I  am  very  familiar 
with  that  word ;  it  has  been  rung  at  us  in  all 
its  changes  for  the  last  four  years.  Our 
Boards  harp  about  it,  and  our  private  letters 
of  instruction  teem  with  it.  We  must  curtail, 
and  curtail  and  CURTAIL,  until  we  have  sent 
children  whom  we  had  a  chance  to  res 
cue  from  vice  in  its  worst  forms,  back  into 
heathendom,  because  the  church  at  home 
couldn't  furnish  us  with  the  paltry  sums  of 
money  needed  to  carry  on  our  work.  We 
met  one  evening  in  the  mission  house,  and  went 
over  our  bills,  and  planned,  and  twisted,  and 
turned,  and  then  some  of  us  cried  and  said : 
'  It  can  not  be  done.  Some  of  the  girls 
mast  go  from  the  school.  There  is  nothing 
more  that  we  can  curtail.'  Now  look  at  these 
ladies.  I  have  been  studying  them  all  the 


456  The  Pocket  Measure. 

afternoon ;  I  wish  I  hadn't.  I  could  almost 
wish  that  I  might  be  blind,  while  I  am  in 
this  country  attending  missionary  meetings, 
so  that  I  might  hear  and  not  see.  But  my 
eyes  are  wide  open.  What  do  I  see  ?  A  lace 
collar  on  this  side,  real  lace  too ;  I've  not 
forgotten  how  the  real  article  looks,  costing 
enough  to  support  one  of  our  girls  at  school 
for  a  year !  silk  dresses,  two  of  which  would 
give  one  of  our  boys  a  good  education.  Jewels 
such  as  would  replenish  the  entire  treasury. 
Bonnets  oh,  dear,  what  would  not  that  row 
of  bonnets  bobbing  all  the  afternoon  just  in 
front  of  me  have  done  for  our  girls'  school 
last  year.  And  the  owners  of  those  very 
bonnets  moved  gracefully  down  the  aisle,  and 
read  their  pretty  reports  about  its  having  been 
a  year  of  much  '  self-abnegation  and  earnest 
effort  for  the  beloved  cause.'  No,  I  don't 
want  to  come  back  to  civilization  to  live ;  I 
know  I  should  suffocate.  I  would  much  rather, 
as  a  matter  of  personal  comfort,  spend  my 
life  among  the  Africans.  They  are  heathen, 
you  know  we  don't  expect  much  of  them." 
She  had  talked  very  rapidly  under  the  spell  of 


Measuring  Enthusiasm.  457 

evidently  strong  excitement ;  and  Mrs.  Spaf- 
ford  stood  spellbound  before  her ;  not  knowing 
what  to  think  or  to  say ;  unable  to  utter  a 
word ;  relieved,  indeed,  from  the  necessity  of 
doing  so,  for  at  that  moment  three  members 
of  the  executive  committee  swooped  down 
upon  the  returned  missionary  and  carried  her 
off  in  triumph  ;  a  captive,  to  shake  hands  with 
scores  and  scores  of  pretty  ladies,  in  elegant 
toilets,  who  were  waiting  for  the  honor  to  be 
bestowed  upon  them. 

Mrs.  Spafford  stood  looking  after  her  in 
sorrowful  silence  for  a  moment,  then  turned 
and  went  slowly  down  the  aisle.  She  was 
going  home  ;  she  could  not  stay  to  hear  her 
dear  old  teacher,  Sallie  Lewis,  talk  that  even 
ing,  though  the  desire  to  remain  was  now 
greatly  intensified  ;  but  Master  Warren  had 
objected  to  her  having  an  evening  out.  Indeed, 
it  was  through  Mrs.  Evans'  self-sacrifice  that 
she  had  been  enabled  to  come  this  after 
noon.  She  must  hasten  home  to  relieve  her. 
But  she  certainly  had  food  for  thought.  And 
I  do  not  know  that  it  is  any  wonder  that 
baby  had  a  very  thoughtful  preoccupied  sort 


458  The  Pocket  Measure. 

of  mother  for  companion,  the  rest  of  the  day, 
nor  that  he  hailed  with  a  crow  of  delight  his 
father's  late  home-coming.  He  came  with 
news. 

"  I  meant  to  be  early  to-night,"  he  said, 
bustling  about  with  War  mounted  on  his 
shoulder ;  "  I  was  going  to  smuggle  you  off 
down  town  with  Evans  and  his  wife,  and  look 
after  this  3Toung  man  myself,  but  we  were 
detained  by  special  business ;  something  hap 
pened.  I'll  tell  you  about  it  when  I  get 
some  water ;  sit  down,  young  man,  until  I 
bring  your  mamma  a  pitcher  of  water.  Oh,  I 
saw  Joe  this  afternoon.  And  he  says  Phillis 
will  be  back  to-morrow ;  she  has  had  her  tooth 
filled  and  is  all  right." 

What  had  happened  was  on  this  wise. 
Extra  work  had  been  the  portion  of  several 
of  the  clerks  in  the  great  store  for  the  last  few 
weeks  owing  to  the  absence  of  one  of  its  most 
trusted  employes.  He  had  broken  down  sud 
denly  in  the  midst  of  a  busy  life,  and  was  re 
ported  from  day  to  day  as  seriously  sick. 

Every  morning  for  two  weeks  Mr.  Spafford 
had  heard  one  or  another  of  the  partners 


Measuring  Enthusiasm.  459 

remark  that  it  was  a  great  inconvenience  to 
have  Holbrook  away  just  now ;  he  was  doing 
well  they  believed,  but  the  illness  was  likely 
to  be  tedious.  It  was  almost  impossible  to 
supply  his  place  temporarily ;  still  they  would 
not  lose  him  for  considerable,  and  must  hold 
on  as  well  as  they  could.  Meantime,  as  the 
days  passed,  it  was  known  to  but  few  that 
Mr.  Evans  was  living  a  precarious  life.  His 
deliberate  resignation  of  his  clerkship,  with  the 
frank  reasons  therefor,  had  caused  but  a  nine 
days'  wonder  among  his  acquaintances,  and 
had  not,  of  course,  caused  even  a  ripple  in 
the  great  business  world,  where  he  was  not 
known  at  all.  He  had  taken  his  place  in 
the  visible  Church,  and  certain  members  — 
good  earnest  men,  business  men,  temperance 
men  —  had  shaken  hands  with  him  and  wel 
comed  him  with  glad  words,  and  assured  him 
of  their  joy  in  hearing  that  he  "counted  not 
his  life  dear  unto  himself,"  and  then  they 
had  gone  their  busy  ways ;  there  was  no 
vacancy  in  their  gift,  they  knew  no  way  in 
which  to  help  him,  save  with  kind  words ; 
those  they  gave,  and  said  to  one  another,  when 


460  The  Pocket  Measure. 

they  met  for  the  first  few  days,  that  they  hoped 
he  would  get  a  good  position  soon  —  he  ought 
to ;  such  back-bone  as  that  should  be  able  to 
make  its  way  in  the  world  ;  and  then  they  had 
forgotten  him.  Others,  of  the  same  church, 
unhesitatingly  said  that  they  considered  he 
had  been  rather  faster  than  was  necessary 
or  even  modest  for  so  young  a  Christian. 
He  could  at  least  have  felt  justified  in  wait 
ing  until  the  Lord  opened  some  door  for 
him.  The  man  who  did  not  provide  for  his 
own  household  was  worse  than  an  infidel.  And 
then  they,  too,  had  forgotten  him. 

During  these  days  the  most  rigid  economy 
was  practised  in  the  "  little  box  of  a  house ;" 
Mrs.  Evans,  taking  lessons  of  her  wifely 
love  and  resolute  determination  to  help  her 
husband  through  this  struggle,  developed  a 
talent  for  making  palatable  dishes  out  of 
nothings,  that  she  felt  sure  even  Mrs.  Spafford 
might  have  envied.  Chances  here  and  there 
the  husband  found  to  help  harried  men  for 
a  day  or  two ;  work  for  which  sometimes 
they  paid  him  in  money,  and  sometimes  in 
hearty  thanks,  and  a  promise  to  do  the  same 


Measuring  Enthusiasm.  461 

for  him  some  day  when  they  had  leisure. 
These  last  he  appreciated,  but  could  not  pay 
his  rent  with  them,  and  the  days  looked  at 
times  heavily  shadowed.  There  was  always 
sunshine  for  them,  though,  in  the  house  across 
the  way,  and  hearty  welcomes,  and  numerous 
invitations  to  dinner,  to  tea,  even  to  breakfast 
when  a  excuse  could  be  found.  Oh,  the  ways 
were  constant  and  quiet  and  soul-sustaining, 
which  these  poor  neighbors  found  to  aid  each 
other.  Weeks  before,  Mr.  Spafford  had  presented 
his  friend's  name  at  his  own  place  of  business, 
urging  that  it  might  be  placed  on  the  list  for 
future  vacancies ;  but  the  list  was  long,  and 
the  prospect  of  vacancies  exceedingly  slight. 

"  I  don't  know  of  a  probable  chance,  perhaps 
in  years,"  had  the  foreman  said  to  him  but 
the  day  before.  "  Of  course,  sickness  may  oc 
cur,  but  in  that  case  we  wait,  as  we  are  doing 
with  Holbrook ;  he  is  better,  by  the  way  ;  I 
hope  we  shall  have  him  back  in  a  few  days." 

And  yet  it  was  only  the  next  morning  that, 
as  Mr.  Spafford  sat  at  his  desk  running  up 
a  column  of  figures,  a  passing  clerk  paused 
a  moment  to  say  to  him  : 


462  The  Pocket  Measure. 

"  Did  you  know  that  Holbrook  was  gone  ?  " 

"  Gone  where  ? "  and  the  bewildered  clerk 
tried  to  remember  the  sum  of  the  column,  and 
talk  at  the  same  time. 

"  Why,  his  disease  took  a  turn  for  the 
worst,  last  night  at  midnight,  and  just  at  day 
break  he  died." 

"  Is  it  possible  !  "  and  Mr.  Spafford  was 
thoroughly  aroused. 

It  had  not  seemed  to  occur  to  any  one 
that  the  man  who  had  sat  so  long  on  that 
high  seat,  behind  that  railing,  and  plodded 
through  such  a  weary  stretch  of  business, 
could  possibly  die !  Mr.  Spafford  sat  with 
pencil  poised  in  air  for  some  minutes,  un 
able  to  settle  down  to  the  routine  of  work, 
when  so  solemn  an  enemy  had  invaded  their 
ranks.  Yet  even  while  he  sat  there  his 
mind  went  to  speculating  on  the  strangeness 
of  the  fact  that  death  could  come  so  near,  and 
yet  not  really  touch  him.  Here  was  taken 
from  their  midst  a  man  beside  whom  he  had 
sat  every  working  day  for  three  months ;  he 
would  never  sit  there  again,  and  yet  it  did 
not  affect  his  interests,  or  himself  in  any 


Measuring  Enthusiasm.  463 

sense.  How  easily  could  Mr.  Spafford  think 
of  those,  the  very  suggestion  of  whose  death 
as  possible,  sent  a  cold  chill  to  his  blood. 
"  Human  brotherhood  is  a  strange,  distant  thing, 
after  all,"  he  told  himself,  musingly,  then  bent 
his  head  and  worked  away.  It  was  towards 
the  close  of  the  next  day  that  he  was  summoned 
to  the  private  office  for  an  interview  with  the 
heads  of  the  firm. 

"  This  friend  of  yours,  Mr.  Spafford,"  said 
the  senior,  motioning  him  to  a  seat :  "  is  he 
still  out  of  employ  ? "'  And  receiving  an 
affirmative  answer  he  added :  "  Could  you 
conscientiously  recommend  him  to  fill  the 
position  which  you  have  occupied  since  you 
have  been  in  our  employ?" 

With  steady  lips,  but  paling  face,  Mr.  Spaf 
ford  answered  : 

"Yes,  sir." 

Could  this  mean  that  they  were  dissatisfied 
with  him  ?  Never  mind,  he  would  do  as  good 
a  service  for  his  friend  as  he  could.  And 
he  forthwith  gave  as  rapid  and  condensed  an 
account  of  his  peculiar  business  qualifications 
as  he  could. 


464  The  Pocket  Measure. 

"  I  think  we  will  try  him,"  said  the  chief. 
"If  you  know  his  address,  Mr.  Spufford,  you 
may  communicate  with  him  to  that  effect. 
We  would  be  glad  to  see  him  to-morrow  morn 
ing.  Meantime,  you  know,  of  course,  of  the 
vacancy  in  our  ranks?  Well,  sir,  we  have 
unanimously  elected  you  to  fill  the  place. 
To  hope  that  you  will  prove  as  faithful  to  the 
firm,  and  to  the  right,  as  the  one  who  has 
fallen,  is  to  wish  great  things  for  you." 

"  Gallic,"  her  husband  said  breaking  the 
little  silence  which  had  fallen  between  them, 
after  the  wonderful  news  had  been  talked  over, 
"  what  will  our  jewel-box  think  of  having 
three  hundred  dollars  a  year  in  it  ?  " 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

MEASURING   SACRIFICES. 

;OLLOWING  Mrs.  Spafford  around  dur 
ing  the  days  when  these  business 
changes  were  taking  place,  was  an  un 
dertone  of  doubt  and  anxiety  about  mission 
effort  in  general,  and  her  own  share  in  it,  in 
particular.  Her  old  friend's  keen,  stinging  sen 
tences  had  remained  to  burn.  Was  it  child's 
play  ?  Did  the  Lord  look  with  sarcasm  on 
it  all,  and  laugh  at  their  pitiful  little  mimicries 
of  sacrifice  ?  "I  will  laugh  them  to  scorn," 
were  the  Bible  words  which  seemed  also  to 
start  up  and  haunt  her.  She  did  not  look 
them  up  and  follow  out  the  connection,  and 
thus  comfort  herself;  .she  had  little  time  for 
465 


466  The  Pocket  Measure. 

actual  study  for  a  few  days,  so  she  simply 
went  about  her  many  duties  with  puzzled 
face  and  troubled  heart.  When,  during  inter 
vals  of  care,  she  dipped  into  the  Bible  for  a 
few  minutes,  she  found  herself  following  out 
the  commision,  "  Go,  preach,  teach  all  nations," 
"  be  diligent  in  season  and  out  of.  season," 
u  present  your  bodies  a  living  sacrifice."  Ear 
nest  words,  intense  words,  fully  as  keen  and 
piercing,  as  any  the  returned  missionary  had 
uttered.  She  grew  to  feeling  that  she  had 
not  even  been  half  in  earnest.  When  it  really 
came  to  the  question  of  sacrifice,  how  had 
she  shown  any  personal  knowledge  of  it? 

As  the  weeks  and  months  went  by,  the 
perplexities  of  the  subject  did  not  lessen.  She 
found  herself  buying  sparingly,  perhaps  she 
might  almost  have  said  grudgingly,  whatever 
could  not  be  classed  among  necessities.  The 
pretty  carpet  which  she  had  thought  of  with 
pleasure,  when  she  was  mentally  adorning  Mr. 
John's  room,  cost  her  actual  sighs.  What 
was  the  use  of  carpets  any  way?  Boys  and 
girls  in  Africa  China  and  India  perishing,  and 
she  buying  carpets! 


Measuring  Sacrifices.  467 

And  when  one  morning  Mr.  Johns  asked 
and  obtained  permission  to  bring  his  nephews 
out  to  spend  the  evening  with  him,  as  she 
made  preparations  to  have  a  dainty  or  two 
added  to  the  evening  meal,  she  felt  perplexed 
over  the  additional  expense ;  even  the  very 
lumps  of  coal  which  she  threw  on  to  the  grate 
in  the  bright  parlor  cost  her  a  twinge,  and 
she  said  to  herself  for  the  hundredth  time  : 

"  What  is  right,  and  where  does  wrong  com 
mence?  We  might  sit  in  the  dining-room." 

They  called  it  dining-room  winter  and  sum 
mer,  by  courtesy,  but  you  will  remember  that, 
in  winters  at  least,  it  was  also  a  kitchen.  "I 
like  to  have  those  young  men  come  up  to  tea, 
and  I  like  to  make  the  table  inviting,  and 
this  room  is  as  pretty  as  a  picture  in  which 
to  receive  them  ;  but  I  could  sacrifice  all  these 
likes,  if  I  am  called  upon  to  do  so ;  only,  it 
would  be  sacrificing  other  people's  likes  also; 
am  I  called  upon  to  make  other  people's  sacri 
fices  for  them  ?  And  if  not,  how  am  I  ever  to 
separate  myself  from  other  people." 

Meantime,  her  spiritual  life  was  not  without 
its  bright  hours.  She  had  grown  deeply,  iii 


468  The  Pocket  Measure. 

fact  almost  painfully  interested,  in  Mr.  Johns,  a 
middle-aged  man  who  had  buried  the  wife  of 
his  youth  and  had  since  been  homeless.  Per 
plexed  though  she  was  with  what  appeared  to 
be  conflicting  duties,  she  was  not  sufficiently  con 
fused  to  give  over  the  most  thoughtful  care 
and  kindness  toward  this  homeless  man ;  and 
certainly  he  seemed  to  appreciate  it.  He  grew 
daily  more  interested  in  matters  which  were 
evidently  of  absorbing  interest  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Spafford.  He  was  beginning  to  be  almost  as 
regular  at  church  as  they  themselves;  and 
for  a  few  weeks  past  he  had  joined  them  at 
the  front  door,  or  at  the  little  gate,  or  perhaps 
at  the  corner,  and  gone  with  them  to  prayer- 
meeting.  He  always  came  down-stairs  for 
evening  worship,  and  he  always  lingered  for 
morning  prayer ;  surely  these  were  cheering 
signs.  Mr.  Johns  was  not  a  heathen,  it  is 
true,  in  the  common  acceptation  of  that  word, 
but  Mrs.  Spafford's  morbid  state  did  not  reach 
to  the  height  of  ignoring  the  individual  value 
of  his  soul  in  the  sight  of  God. 

That  it  was  a  morbid  state,  at  least  in  part, 
she  became   almost   convinced,  as  time  passed ; 


Measuring  Sacrifices.  469 

still,  there  was  enough  truth  in  her  difficulty 
to  make  her  unable  to  get  away  from  it.  The 
bright-eyed  plain-spoken  missionary,  who  had 
so  confused  her  sense  of  the  fitness  of  things, 
had  long  since  gone  on  her  way,  sought  after 
by  missionary  societies  in  all  directions,  to  tell 
to  their  eager  ears  the  story  of  her  own 
life,  which  certainly  was  full  enough  of  sacri 
fice  ;  though  this  she  apparently  did  not  realize. 
But  the  effect  of  her  intense  words,  spoken 
in  haste,  remained. 

It  was  finally  to  Mrs.  Temple  that  she  told 
the  whole  story  one  bright  winter  day,  when 
she  and  young  Warren  went  to  spend  a  few 
hours  with  that  lady.  The  fact  is,  all  the 
perplexity  came  to  her  with  ten-fold  force, 
surrounded  as  she  was  on  every  -hand  by 
evidences  of  wealth  and  expensive  tastes.  The 
very  carriage,  with  its  luxurious  cushions 
and  handsome  horses,  which  had  been  sent 
to  wait  upon  her  and  baby,  had  given  her 
a  questioning  twinge.  Thinking  it  all  over, 
she  presently  turned  the  conversation  in  that 
direction,  and  found  herself  telling  over  to  Mrs. 
Temple  her  missionary  friend's  excited  words. 


470  The  Pocket  Measure. 

There  were  tears  in  the  elder  lady's  eyes 
as  she  listened,  but  there  were  smiles  on  her 
face : 

"I've  been  over  the  same  ground,"  she  de 
clared,  to  Mrs.  Spafford's  immense  relief.  "  I 
know  just  how  it  must  seem  to  you  —  just 
how  the  words  and  thoughts  which  they  sug 
gested  have  stayed  with  and  tormented  you. 
Never  mind,  dear,  don't  grudge  -the  unrest 
they  have  caused  you ;  they  will  bear  fruit. 
Meantime,  there  are  two  sides,  even  to  your 
earnest  friend's  words.  She,  from  her  stand 
point,  sees  plainly  one  side,  but  not  the  other. 
I  think  she  feels  and  talks  very  much  as  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  would  have  done,  had  he 
turned  away  in  despair  and  disgust  from  those 
poor  fishermen  who  thought  they  were  '  leaving 
all,'  to  follow  him.  What  did  they  leave, 
after  all  ?  What  sacrifices  did  they  make  ? 
Yet  they  thought  they  were  making  great 
ones.  And  in  what  infinite  patience  he  bore 
with  them,  and  led  them  along,  step  by  step, 
until  the  time  came  when  they  counted  not  their 
lives  dear.  I  don  t  think  they  would  have 
been  ready  for  martyrdom  that  first  day  when 


Measuring  Sacrifices,  471 

he  called  them  from  their  nets.  Poor  human 
sight  would  have  felt  utterly  discouraged  with 
them  many  a  time  between  that  day  and  the 
one  in  which  they  went  up  to  him  through 
fire  and  blood.  So  the  church  is  growing. 
Some  of  our  dear  Christian  ladies  have  but 
just  heard  a  faint  echo  of  his  call,  '  Go  ye 
into  all  the  world,'  though  it  has  been  sounding 
for  centuries.  There  are  many  of  them  stand 
ing  now  on  the  threshold,  dazed  with  the 
echo,  scarcely  knowing  if  it  can  possibly  mean 
them,  and  seeing  sacrifice  and  burden  where 
one  day  they  will  '  count  it  all  joy.'  And  only 
He  can  seem  to  bear  patiently  with  childish 
footsteps,  and  wait  for  growth  and  strength. 
"Besides,  dear  Mrs.  Spafford,  there  are  two 
sides,  even  to  their  dresses  and  bonnets,  some 
times.  I  happen  to  know  the  private  history 
of  one  of  that  very  group  of  bonnets  which 
your  friend  saw  and  deplored.  It  was  bought 
at  an  up-town  store,  where  a  pretty  young 
girl  is  just  struggling  up  into  position ;  trying 
amid  great  competition  to  establish  herself. 
To  secure  Mrs.  Jason  Ward's  custom,  to 
make  her  a  bonnet  of  such  material  and  in 


472  The  Pocket  Measure. 

such  a  fashion  that  others  of  Mrs.  Ward's 
set  would  look  and  admire  and  follow  example^ 
was  an  advertisement  for  the  struggling  young 
woman  which  she  will  not  soon  forget.  In 
deed,  I  sometimes  think  that  that  very  bonnet 
is  going  to  bring  that  pretty,  new  milliner  into 
the  kingdom. 

"  Then  beside  her  sat  Mrs.  McChesney  in 
an  elegant  new  black  silk.  She  read  a  re 
port  that  day,  you  will  remember.  When  she 
referred  to  sacrifices,  I  could  scarcely  hide  a 
smile  at  the  smallness  of  my  own  thoughts. 
I  was  wondering  whether  she  had  really  felt 
it  a  little  sacrifice  to  have  that  dress  made  by 
Mrs.  Dormer,  a  widow  who  is  a  neat  and  skill 
ful  sewer,  and  is  trying  hard  to  secure  work 
such  as  will  enable  her  to  keep  her  children 
together  and  educate  them.  She  made  this 
dress,  did  it  well,  is  capable  of  doing  well ; 
and  yet  I  know  that  Mrs.  McChesney  likes  to 
go  to  Lawrence  &  Newcomb's  old  established 
house  ;  they  have  always  done  her  work,  and 
suit  her  exactly,  without  any  trouble.  Still,  she 
didn't  go  there  ;  and  what  is  the  result?  Why 
ladies  of  her  acquaintance  said  to  one  another : 


Measuring  Sacrifices.  473 

"Did  you  know  that  Mrs.  McChesney's 
new  black  silk  was  made  by  Mrs.  Dormer? 
She  must  have  a  very  high  opinion  of  her 
work  if  she  gives  her  such  an  elegant  silk  as 
that  ?  '  And  forth  with  custom  pours  in  upon 
Mrs.  Dormer  ;  it  is  as  good  as  a  hundred-dollar 
advertisement  to  her ;  and  I  will  tell  you 
in  confidence  that  Mrs.  Dormer  brought  me 
around  a  five  dollar  bill  only  last,  week  as  a 
thank  offering  to  the  special  fund  in  our 
Foreign  Missionary  Society.  '  I  know  Mrs. 
McChesney  is  more  interested  in  that  society 
than  any  other,'  said  poor  Mrs.  Dormer.  She 
herself  had  never  thought  of  the  heathen  twice 
in  her  life,  but  she  continued:  "So  I  thought 
I  would  bring  it,  for  I  do  feel  so  thankful  to 
her."  She  is  coming  to  the  next  meeting) 
Mrs.  Dormer  is,  you  understand,  and  who  can 
tell  whereunto  this  may  grow? 

"Now  that  is  a  glimpse  of  the  other  side. 
I  don't  say  that  it  is  or  it  isnt  the  best  way 
to  manage  these  things ;  but  what  I  do  say 
is,  that  the  Lord  sees  the  heart ;  and  little 
seeds  of  loving  kindness  to  one's  neighbor, 
whether  he  be  next  door  or  across  the  ocean, 


474  The  Pvcket  Measure. 

may  be  in  many  hearts,  unknown  to  us,  un 
known  to  those  grand  missionaries  who  have 
gotten  above  us  so  far  that  they  see  all  the 
glory  of  the  work  and  the  honor  of  being 
allowed  to  toil,  but  not  so  high  up  that  they 
can  see  into  each  human  heart,  and  accept 
the  petty  sacrifices,  and  watch  the  growing 
seed,  and  wait  for  harvest." 

"  Still,"  said  Mrs.  Temple,  as  the  talk  went 
on,  "  there  is  her  side,  too,  and  we  must  not 
forget  it.  There  are  thoughtless  expenditures 
among  wealthy  Christian  women ;  there  are 
hundreds  lavished,  where  tens  would  do ;  that 
can  not  be  denied,  and  we  do  well  to  look 
thoughtfully  and  prayerfully  at  it  from  this 
missionary's  standpoint,  and  by  realizing  what 
a  ridiculous  sarcasm  our  lives  present  to 
her,  get  a  glimpse  of  what  motiveless  and 
unconsecrated  expenditure  must  look  like,  to 
God,  who  gave  himself  for  souls ! " 

"  That  is  it,"  said  Mrs.  Spafford,  setting  War 
down  again  on  the  rug,  and  standing  before 
her  friend,  her  face  aglow  with  feeling.  "  Leav 
ing  all  these  people  who  have  plenty  of  money, 
and  with  whose  expenditures  I  have  nothing 


Measuring  Sacrifices.  475 

to  do,  how  am  I  to  regulate  my  own  life? 
Fm  in  great  confusion." 

Then  she  dropped  back  into  the  low  easy 
chair,  and,  led  on  by  tender  questioning,  began 
to  tell  all  about  her  trivial  perplexities,  the 
new  carpet,  the  extra  dishes,  even  the  parlor 
fire  and  the  nephews. 

"  Two  sides,  dear  friend,"  said  Mrs.  Temple, 
still  smiling.  "You  need  to  learn  that  by 
heart.  When  the  disciples  were  commissioned 
to  preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature,  they 
were  to  begin  in  Jerusalem.  Now  think  a 
moment;  suppose  you,  instead  of  going  over 
on  that  rainy  afternoon,  two  years  ago,  and 
helping  to  reconstruct,  not  only  Mrs.  Evans' 
kitchen  but  her  home ;  oh,  yes,  I  know  all 
about  it ;  Mrs.  Evans  is  also  a  friend  of  mine, 
remember;  but  suppose,  instead,  you  had 
worked  a  collar  for  the  store,  which  would 
bring  eventually  a  dollar  into  the  treasury  of 
the  Lord.  In  actual  dollars  and  cents  how 
would  it  have  compared  ?  How  much  in  dol 
lars  has  Mrs.  Evans  been  worth  to  the  mission 
band,  her  influence  dating  from  that  day? 
How  much  may  she  be  worth  in  the  future  ? 


476  The  Pocket  Measure. 

What  may  her  husband  do  ?  I  think  he  has 
commenced  grandly;  did  you  know  he  sub 
scribed  ten  dollars  to  the.  young  men's  fund 
for  Bibles  for  Mexico  ?  And  you  know  surely 
that  he  believes  you  and  your  husband  were 
the  means  of  showing  him  Christ.  Do  you 
believe  you  could  have  done  it  by  saving  your 
time  and  your  money  for  the  Foreign  Mission 
treasury  ?  Then  I  think  the  Lord  has  important 
work  for  Mr.  Johns  to  do ;  and  your  pretty 
home,  yes  and  the  pretty  parlor,  and  all  the 
purity  and  peace  of  his  surroundings  may 
be  the  Master's  cords  of  influencing,  drawing 
him.  As  for  those  two  nephews,  I  don't  be 
lieve  you  know  that  they  are  in  Mr.  Temple's 
Bible  class,  and  that  they  are  evidently  giving 
serious  thought  to  the  all  important  questions  ? 
The  older  one,  Charlie,  told  my  husband  about 
his  visit  at  your  home,  and  about  the  delightful 
evening  which  you  gave  them,  and  a  hint  of 
some  thoughtful,  earnest  words  that  you 
spoke  to  him  under  the  gas-light.  He  admitted 
to  Mr.  Temple  that  if  he  thought  he  could  be 
such  a  Christian  as  you  and  your  husband 
were  he  would  like  to  be  one.  I  tell  you,  dear, 


Measuring  Sacrifices.  477 

the  Lord  knows  you,  knows  just  what  place 
he  has  set  you  in,  just  how  many  people  you 
can  touch  with  your  influence,  and  just  what 
he  is  going  to  do  with  them  all ;  and  he  loves 
the  cause,  both  at  home  and  abroad,  more 
than  you  and  I  can." 

"  But  about  the  sacrifice,"  said  Mrs.  Spafford, 
after  a  thoughtful  pause,  during  which  her 
face  had  lighted  greatly.  "I  don't  quite  un 
derstand  that.  '  Give  till  you  feel  it,'  is  the 
sentence  I  read  the  other  day,  that  should 
be  taken  as  a  motto  by  all  the  Christian  world. 
I  don't  know  how  to  do  it.  As  I  have  been 
telling  you,  my  actions  seem  to  be  so  mixed 
with  other  people  that  I  cannot  separate  them. 
How  am  I  to  sacrifice  for  any  cause  ? " 

Mrs.  Temple  bent  toward  the  rug  and  gave 
herself  up  apparently  to  the  pleasure  of  a 
frolic  with  War ;  his  happy  shouts  and  evident 
appreciation  of  the  fun  drawing  his  mother's 
pleased  attention.  When  her  gaze  was  riveted 
on  him,  with  the  mother  love  shining  fully  in 
her  eyes  Mrs.  Temple  said,  suddenly : 

"  What  a  heavy  sacrifice  your  life  has 
been  during  the  past  year  for  the  sake  of 


478  The  Pocket  Measure. 

this  one  little  boy !  How  many  nights  have 
you  sat  by  his  crib?  How  many  hours  have 
you  walked  the  floor  with  him  in  your  arms? 
How  many  comforts  have  you  gone  without 
for  his  sake  ?  In  short,  how  continually  you 
must  have  felt  the  weight  of  self-sacrifice  for 
him  !  Can  you  compute  it,  Mrs.  Spafford  ?  " 

A  quick  telegraphic  dispatch  from  the 
heart  of  one  woman  to  the  other  was  the 
immediate  result  of  this  sentence,  then  the 
mother  bent  and  kissed  her  baby. 

"  I  do  not  feel  the  utmost  that  I  can  do 
for  him  to  be  a  sacrifice,"  she  said,  with  deep 
feeling,  because  I  love  him  so.  Do  you  mean, 
Mrs.  Temple  —  can  I  think  —  " 

"  Do  I  think  you  can  so  love  Christ  that 
whatever  sacrifices  of  personal  ease  or  comfort 
you  may  make  for  his  sake  will  become  so 
much  a  joy  as  to  cease  to  be  claimed  under 
the  head  of  sacrifice  ?  Aye,  indeed,  there  is 
a  higher  plane  than  that  of  sacrifice." 

There  was  much  more  talk,  but  I  cannot 
give  it  to  you.  Its  sum  is  embodied  in  Mrs. 
Spafford's  words  as  she  wrapped  War's  cloak 
around  him  and  tied  his  gay  cap  under  his  chin: 


Measuring  Sacrifices.  479 

"Thank  you,  Mrs.  Temple,  you  do  not 
know  what  you  have  done  for  me  this  after 
noon.  I  don't  know  myself,  yet,  but  I  feel 
sure  that  I  am  a  great  deal  richer  than  I  was 
when  I  came."  Then,  immediately,  "  Mrs. 
Temple,  you  need  not  have  ordered  the  car 
riage  for  us  ;  we  could  go  home  by  car." 

Mrs.  Temple  laughed,  pleasantly. 

"  Are  you  afraid,  dear,"  she  said,  "  that  to 
luxuriate  in  a  carriage,  instead  of  being  un 
comfortable  in  a  car,  is  not  making  use  of 
your  opportunities  for  sacrifice  ?  Save  your 
car- fare  for  the  mission-mite  box,  and  ride 
with  a  clear  conscience.  John,  on  his  way  up 
for  jrou,  dropped  Mrs.  Perkins,  you  know,  she 
doesn't  get  rides  often,  and  needs  them.  John 
is  going  to  stop  for  her  on  his  way  back, 
and  bring  her  home ;  so  you  see  you  may 
safely  enjoy  the  carriage." 

Mrs.  Spafford  responded  by  a  happy  little 
laugh.  "  I  don't  think  anything  about  comfort, 
or  sacrifice,"  she  protested  ;  "  I  was  just  plan 
ning  to  stop  on  the  way  and  do  an  errand." 

"  Do  all  the  errands  you  want  to ;  Mrs. 
Perkins  will  be  in  no  haste  to  get  home 


480  The  Pocket  Measure. 

and  John  will  mate  love  to  War  with  all  his 
heart,  while  you  are  gone." 

Notwithstanding  her  protest,  Mrs.  Spafford 
found  her  heart  rejoicing,  over  the  fact  that 
she  could  see  work  that  Christ  would 
own,  even  connected  with  that  luxurious  car 
riage.  Had  he  not  said,  "Unto  one  of  the 
least  of  these  ?  "  Mrs.  Perkins  ranked  among 
the  "  least "  as  the  world  looked  at  it,  but  she 
was  assuredly  one  of  his  own. 

War  was  left  for  a  brief  minute,  cuddled 
among  the  cushions,  talking  to  John,  while 
his  mother  stopped  at  one  of  the  great  stores, 
summoned  the  carpet  clerk,  Mr.  Johns,  and 
directed  him  to  bring  the  nephews  home  with 
him  to  supper.  Then  she  hastened  home, 
set  the  parlor  aglow  with  beauty  with  the 
aid  of  a  large  bouquet,  brought  from  Mrs. 
Temple's  green  house,  then  beguiled  Phillis 
into  entertaining  War,  while  she  made  cream 
muffins  for  tea.  Now  light  had  dawned  on 
her  pathway ;  new  meaning  there  was  in  the 
verse  :  "  Whether  therefore  ye  eat,  or  drink, 
or  whatsoever  ye  do,  do  all  to  the  glory  of 
God."  She  saw  new  ways  of  doing  it ;  she 
was  gleefully  happy  over  her  muffins. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

THEN    AND    NOW. 

HAT  an  immense  book  the  history  of 
a  human  life  would  make  I  Probably 
no  one  will  ever  know  how  large  a 
volume  it  would  be,  for  no  one  will  ever  write 
it.  I  have  lingered"  over  the  story  of  the 
beginnings  of  married  life,  to  this,  my  friend 
Mrs.  Spafford.  She  is  so  dear  to  me,  and 
her  early  trials  and  triumphs  are  such  vivid 
pictures  in  my  heart,  that  I  love  to  linger 
over  them. 

But    time    hastened.     Therefore,  I,   warned 

by  the  growing  chapters,  will  ask  you  to  look 

in  upon  her  busy  life  for  the  last  time,  nearly 

ten  years  from  the  day  in  which  you  made  her 

481 


482  The  Pocket  Measure. 

acquaintance.  Not  in  the  pretty  "  little  box  of 
a  home  ;  "  those  quarters  grew  too  strait  for  the 
increasing  family.  It  is  on  the  same  square, 
however;  the  Spaffords  found  themselves  much 
too  attached  to  their  surroundings,  the  ties  of 
neighborhood  too  strong  to  be  causelessly  sun 
dered  ;  so  it  stands  on  the  corner  below,  a  large 
handsome  house ;  plain  it  is  true,  but  it  is  the 
plainness  of  exceeding  taste  and  care  rather 
than  that  of  accident.  Perhaps  the  most 
noticeable  feature  is  the  lovely  lawn  that 
spreads  itself  abroad  in  most  uncity-like 
greenness  and  beauty ;  grasses  and  ferns  and 
flowers  cluster  here  all  summer  in  radiant 
freshness.  Lovely  beds  of  violets  are  scattered 
here  and  there;  lilies  of  the  valley  in  their 
early  season  hide  under  broad,  green  leaves; 
while  in  shady  nooks  certain  beauties  of  the 
woods  thrive  exceedingly,  to  prove  the  falsity 
of  the  popular  notion  that  none  of  these  wild- 
wood  treasures  will  bear  transplanting  and 
petting. 

On  the  opposite  corner  is  a  twin  house ; 
the  ground  distinguished  from  their  neighbor 
across  the  way  only  by  a  lavish  wealth  of 


Then  and  Now.  483 

roses  during  June.  The  houses  themselves 
are  as  nearly  alike  as  the  same  architect  and 
builder  could  make  them  ;  and  I  presume  you 
can  readily  guess  that  the  Evans  Family  oc 
cupy  the  latter  one.  The  neighbors  of  years 
ago  are  neighbors  still. 

I  want  you,  on  this  bright  winter  after 
noon,  to  go  with  me  to  the  meeting  of  the 
Young  Ladies'  Mission  Band.  You  will  meet 
many  of  the  old  friends  there,  and  some  new 
ones,  and  get  perhaps  a  better  idea  of  what  is 
doing  in  that  branch  than  a  half-day's  story 
from  me  could  give  you. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  climb  the  hill  to 
the  old  Stowell  homestead.  The  parlor  served 
its  time,  doing  its  duty  nobly,  and  has  retired 
into  private  life  again ;  for,  six  squares  away 
from  the  two  stone  houses  where  our  friends 
live,  is  another  new  building.  In  point  of  fact, 
there  are  many  new  buildings,  for  this  part  of 
the  city  has  grown  so  rapidly  during  the  past 
six  years  that  it  can  not  honestly  lay  claim 
longer  to  the  name  suburb.  But  there  is 
one  pile  of  brick  and  mortar  which  is  the 
building  above  all  others  around  which  the 


484  The  Pocket  Measure. 

hopes  and  plans  of  many  center.  It  is  large, 
and  in  fact  rather  imposing-looking,  and  bears 
over  its  central  door  in  large  letters  this  brief 
statement:  " YOUNG  LADIES'  BAND,  TEMPLE 
STREET  CHUKCH." 

To  the  initiated  these  words  tell  a  great  deal  ; 
and  as  for  the  uninitiated  can't  they  inquire  ? 
~This  building  is  the  property  of  the  Temple 
Street  Church.  It  holds  within  its  ample  walls 
a  reference  library  on  missions,  a  general  library 
of  carefully  selected  volumes,  a  ladies'  parlor, 
handsomely  furnished,  where  women  and  girls 
may  be  sure  of  meeting  at  all  hours  of  the 
day  some  Christian  women,  who  will  greet 
them  cordially,  introduce  them  to  the  points 
to  which  they  may  need  introduction,  give 
them  any  needed  help  as  regards  work,  or 
home,  or  friends,  in  short,  set  them  in  the 
way  of  helping  themselves ;  a  ladies'  committee 
room  just  across  the  hall,  where  some  of  the 
various  committees  of  Christian  work  are 
apt  to  be  in  session  on  almost  any  day  of  the 
week;  a  coffee  and  lunch  room  for  women 
only,  constantly  presided  over  by  skilful  young 
women  who  have  been  taught  how  to  prepare 


Then  and  Now.  485 

wholesome  and  inviting  food ;  a  young  ladies' 
parlor,  carpeted  and  curtained  and  seated 
tastefully,  a  parlor  organ  at  one  end,  a  center- 
table  with  Bible  and  hymn  books,  and  numer 
ous  side  tables  with  work  baskets,  and  a  sewing- 
machine  near  at  hand.  This  last  is  where 
the  young  ladies  hold  their  monthly  gatherings ; 
and  down-stairs  the  largest  room  in  the  build 
ing,  with  bay  windows  at  front  and  side,  in 
each  of  which  glitter  in  gilt  letters  the  word 
"WHAT-NOT,"  the  fancy  store  belonging  still 
to  the  stock  company  formed  more  than  eight 
years  ago.  Every  other  room  in  the  building 
is  connected  with  the  benevolence  of  the 
Temple  Street  Church  save  this  one.  This 
is  rented  at  a  fair  figure,  and  paid  for  in 
quarterly  advance  payments  by  the  members 
of  this  unique  firm.  They  are  still  firmly 
resolved  on  not  mixing  things.  Business  is 
business,  and  benevolence  is  benevolence. 

True,  they  find  no  fault  because  the  managers 
of  the  building  choose  to  use  the  rent  paid 
them  for  this  room  to  swell  the  number  of 
volumes  in  the  library.  They  have  no  desire 
to  curtail  the  benevolent  enterprises  of  the 


486  The  Pocket  Measure. 

Temple  Street  Church ;  on  the  contrary,  they 
rejoice  over  each  one.  They  are  grateful  for 
the  bestowal  of  the  committee  room,  and 
the  parlor,  and  the  library,  and  the  upper 
parlor  where  they  hold  their  religious  meet 
ings  —  this  is  benevolence ;  they  gave  their  mites 
to  help  build  each  of  these ;  they  constantly 
help  to  keep  the  wheels  in  motion  ;  but 
the  down-stairs  front  room  means  business. 

They  are  workers.  They  have  enlarged  their 
borders.  The  store  is  open  now  all  day  long, 
from  Monday  morning  until  Saturday  night ; 
always  excepting  Wednesday  and  Friday 
evenings,  when  occur  the  regular  church 
prayer-meetings.  Well-salaried  clerks  are  in 
constant  attendance,  but  the  numerous  partners 
keep  a  sharp  lookout,  and  hold  themselves 
carefully  posted  as  to  all  that  goes  on  connected 
with  the  firm.  That  it  has  paid,  and  is  pay 
ing,  you  need  only  glance  up  and  down  the 
well-stocked  room  to  be  sure  of.  I  shall  not 
even  venture  to  whisper  to  you  what  have 
been  the  net  receipts  during  this  past  year ; 
the  fact  is,  it  is  a  business  secret.  What  firm 
of  any  importance  cares  to  noise  abroad  its 


Then  and  Now.  487 

financial  power?  Yet  that  some  people  under 
stand  it  is  evident,  because  you  may  hear  it 
repeatedly  affirmed  by  leading  business  men 
in  the  very  heart  of  the  great  city,  that  .they 
should  not  hesitate  to  trust  the  "WHAT-NOT," 
to  any  reasonable  amount.  It  is  true  this 
may  be  owing  in  part  to  the  fact  that  the 
firm  in  question  never  ask  one  cent  of  credit 
from  any  business  house  anywhere ;  their 
rules  in  this  respect  being  as  strict  as  when 
they  invested  with  laughter  and  trembling 
their  first  six  dollars  and  seventy-five  cents. 

"  Well  I  did  not  propose  to  have  yon  linger 
in  the  store.  You  are  invited  up  to  the  young 
ladies'  parlor,  where  the  meeting  is  in  progress. 
At  first  sight  it  will  not  impress  you  at  all 
as  a  religious  meeting.  The  machine  is  hushed 
it  is  true,  but  needles  and  scissors  and  thimbles 
are  flashing  and  gleaming  in  busy  fingers ;  and 
tongues  are  moving  almost  as  steadily.  Mrs. 
Spafford  is  seated  at  the  central  table,  and 
the  Bible  is  open  before  her.  Mrs.  Evans  is 
at  her  right,  pencil  and  note  book  in  hand, 
Every  other  lady  in  the  room  is  sewing,  or 
crocheting,  or  knitting,  or  cutting. 


488  The  Pocket  Measure. 

These  two,  Mrs.  Spafford  and  Mrs.  Evans,  it 
will  be  remembered,  are  not  young  ladies;  but 
there  is  a  singular  fact  connected  with  their 
history  thus  far  :  Not  a  young  lady  belonging 
to  that  Band  has  discovered  apparently  that 
these  two  are  any  older,  or  are  ever  to  be  any 
older,  than  those  who  rank  among  young  ladies. 
They  have  held  to  them  with  a  calm  persistence 
that  has  so  shamed  old  Father  Time  that  he 
really  has  retired  into  the  backgroud,  leaving 
no  wrinkles  and  as  yet  not  even  a  suggestive 
gray  hair.  And  every  lady  in  the  church 
knows  that  these  two  motherly  matrons  are 
main  arteries  of  the  Young  Ladies'  Band.  Mrs. 
Spafford,  though  with  an  open  Bible  before 
her,  repeats  instead  of  reads  this  sentence  : 

"  Ask  of  me,  and  I  will  give  thee  the  heathen 
for  thine  inheritance,  and  the  uttermost  parts 
of  the  earth  for  thy  possession,"  and  without 
a  pause  of  a  moment  Mrs.  Evans  adds :  "  The 
earth  is  the  Lord's  and  the  fulness  thereof." 
And  Addie  Stowell  says:  "Thou  shall  inherit 
all  nations." 

Thus  the  story  grows,  the  wonderful  story 
of  God's  own  promises,  which  are  found  to 


Then  and  Now.  489 

belt  the  earth,  proving  by  his  mighty  word 
that  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  shall  yet  praise 
him.  It  is  Laura  Bacon  who  has  dropped  the 
bright  wools  she  was  sorting,  and  slipped  into 
a  seat  before  the  organ,  just  as  the  triumphant 
chorus  of  verses  is  concluded.  She  touches 
the  chords,  and  with  one  consent  they  chant : 
"The  Lord  reigneth,  let  the  earth  rejoice, 
let  the  multitude  of  isles  be  glad  thereof. 
Declare  his  glory  among  the  heathen,  his 
wonders  among  all  nations.  O  come,  let  'US 
worship  and  bow  down,  let  us  kneel  before 
the  Lord  our  maker."  At  the  first  note  of 
the  song,  the  busy  hands  drop,  and  with  the 
closing  strain  the  ladies  kneel,  and  Mrs.  Evans' 
voice  leads  them  into  the  very  presence  of  the 
God  of  the  whole  earth. 

"  It  almost  seems  as  if  the  day  were  near 
at  hand  when  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth 
shall  worship  him,"  declared  Addie  Stowell, 
when  work  had  been  resumed ;  "  I  have  been 
so  astonished  over  many  facts  while  getting 
ready  for  this  meeting." 

"  That  must  certainly  mean  good  news  from 
China,"  said  Mrs.  Evans,  with  a  smile;  "I 


490  The  Pocket  Measure. 

believe  you  are  her  special  representative  for 
to-day." 

"  Oh,  China  is  simply  wonderful.  You 
ought  to  have  appointed  every  one  of  us  to 
represent  her,  and  then  we  couldn't  have 
begun  to  do  her  justice.  I  don't  know  about 
this  '  general  summary'  that  we  are  supposed 
to  give  in  January.  Why  we  can't  begin  to 
glance  at  the  wonders  that  are  doing." 

"  Well,  just  a  glance  is  about  all  we  can 
give,  but  I  think  if  you  remember  that  we  are  to 
glance  backward  as  well  as  forward,  you  will 
succeed  in  impressing  us  by  the  power  of 
contrast." 

"Yes'm,  I  remember  it;  and  it  was  that 
very  thing  that  overwhelmed  me.  Why, 
Mrs.  Spafford,  I  didn't  know  that  less  than 
forty  years  ago  there  were  only  six  Chinamen 
converted.  Isn't  that  awful !  " 

"It  is  harder  for  me  to  realize  that  any  of 
them  are  converted  now,"  declared  a  gay  young 
girl ;  "  I  don't  know  much  about  the  Chinese, 
only  their  faces  look  so  funny,  and  their  ways 
are  so  unlike  ours ;  it  doesn't,  seem  as 
though  they  could  be  Christians.  Do  many 


Then  and  Now.  491 

of  them  come  to  the  light?  You  know  I 
have  just  joined  your  ranks ;  you  must  wink 
at  my  ignorance." 

"And  enlighten  it,  Fanny,"  said  Mrs. 
Evans,  laughing.  "Addie,  can  you  encourage 
her  in  regard  to  the  Chinese  ?  " 

"  I  should  think  so  !  Why,  there  are  fifty 
thousand  of  them  connected  with  Christian 
churches.  Only  think  of  that!  Over  thirteen 
thousand  of  them  are  communicants ;  and, 
Fanny  Carley,  how  much  do  you  suppose 
those  church-members  give  a  year  for  the 
cause  ?  Twenty  thousand  dollars !  Just  think 
of  it !  Heathen,  indeed !  I  wish  some  of  them 
would  come  over  and  teach  our  civilized 
heathen  how  to  give.  Mrs.  Spafford,  how 
much  may  I  say  ?  I'm  jnst  bubbling  over. 
There  are  dozens  of  curious  incidents  that  I'd 
like  to  tell." 

"Save  them  for  February,"  ruled  Mrs. 
Spafford ;  "  you  know  we  give  the  entire 
meeting  to  China  then;  and  I  can  see 
by  Minnie  Stuart's  face  that  she  thinks  the 
Chinese  don't  compare  with  the  Mexicans." 

This    suggestion   brought  a  chorus    of  eager 


492  The  Pocket  Measure. 

voices  to  the  front.  Every  one  of  the  girls 
had  been,  at  a  very  recent  date,  to  hear  that 
queen  of  Mexican  missions,  Miss  Rankin. 
Four  copies  of  her  book  were  in  the  Missionary 
Library,  and  had  been  carefully  read,  since 
the  excitement  about  her  wonderful  work  had 
reached  white  wheat,  and  the  girls  were  therefore 
on  the  qui  vive  to  give  information.  At  last 
such  was  the  case  with  those  who  represented 
Mexico,  while  the  others  were  equally  certain 
that  these  should  be  held  to  the  rules,  and 
give  only  a  summary. 

"  Well,"  declared  Minnie,  "  we  are  willing ; 
the  summary  is  astonishing  enough,  especially 
in  the  light  of  contrast.  Remember  how 
Miss  Rankin  worked  to  get  one  Bible  over 
into  Mexico,  and  how  she  rejoiced  when  that 
feat  was  accomplished ;  and  then  think  of 
the  Protestant  churches  scattered  over  it  to 
day,  and  the  thousands  there  who  are  followers 
of  Christ !  " 

This  very  sentence  produced  eager  words 
from  one  and  another  in  confirmation  of  the 
remarkable  changes  in  that  land,  which  a  few 
years  had  wrought;  and  at  last  Mrs.  Spafford 


Tfien  and  Now.  493 

was  again  obliged  to  call  them  to  order." 
I  don't  think  it  can  be,  that  our  time  is 
up ;  we  are  just  hurried  because  Essie  is  de 
termined  to  get  to  India,"  declared  Minnie 
Stuart,  as  she  laughingly  retired  to  the  back 
ground. 

"  Well,  India,  is  fully  as  startling  in  its 
story  as  China  or  Mexico  can  possibly  be," 
affirmed  the  earnest-faced  young  girl  whom 
they  called  Essie. 

"  Don't  you  know  when  we  were  reading 
Dr.  Judson's  life  we  concluded  that  no  other 
mission  land  could  be  more  hopeless  than  India 
looked  then?  Now  think  of  there  being 
seventy-eight  thousand  people  there  who  belong 
to  Jesus !  I  tell  you,  girls,  that  number  is 
simply  glorious !  Mamma  laughed  at  my 
enthusiasm,  when  I  found  it  out ;  I  was  a 
little  ashamed  of  the  way  in  which  I  shouted ; 
but  it  came  over  me  suddenly,  and  I  just 
broke  my  thoughts :  '  Oh !  oh  !  OH  ! '  I  said, 
'what an  immense  throng  there  is  going  to  be 
in  heaven,  when  India,  alone,  is  ready  now 
to  send  seventy-eight  thousand ! '  Still,  the 
more  I  studied  the  matter,  the  more  evident 


494  The  Pocket  Measure. 

it  was  that  there  was  a  great  deal  to  do  yet. 
Why,  some  of  the  sentences  in  the  book  I 
was  reading  sounded  just  like  sarcasm,  though 
they  were  not  intended  for  that.  For  instance, 
it  stated  that  there  were  now  in  India  two 
missionaries  for  every  million  of  inhabitants, 
and  that  this  was  a  very  good  number !  Mrs. 
Spafford,  what  do  you  think  of  that,  when 
you  said,  the  other  day,  that  our  pastor,  with 
a  congregation  of  a  thousand  to  look  after, 
had  far  too  much  to  do." 

"  Just  what  I  thought  before,  Essie,"  said 
Mrs.  Spafford  smiling ;  "  that  we  expect  more 
of  our  pastors  than  they  can  accomplish,  with 
such  large  fields,  and  that  we  are  awfully 
neglecting  India,  as  well  as  every  other  mission 
field." 

"  Yes,"  declared  a  champion  for  China,  "  I 
am  glad  you  put  in  that  last,  Mrs.  Spafford; 
I  don't  think  India  compares  with  China,  for 
instance,  in  its  need.  Why  that  missionary 
who  visited  at  auntie's  last  summer  told  me 
herself  that,  where  she  was  located,  the  number 
of  people  that  one  missionary  had  to  reach, 
if  they  were  reached,  was  the  same  as  though 


Then  and  Now.  495 

there  were  a  minister  in  New  York  City  and 
one  in  Cleveland,  O.,  and  none  between  !  She 
asked  me  how  1  should  enjoy  having  my 
minister  have  such  a  field  as  that !  " 

Thus  the  talk  went  on.  Siam  and  Africa 
and  Japan  and  Persia  and  Syria  had  each  their 
special  champion,  eager  to  give  contrasting 
figures  and  striking  bits  of  news.  Constantly 
was  their  leader  obliged  to  suppress  the  enthu 
siastic  young  hearts,  hinting  that  this  was  the 
day  for  the  general  outlook  only,  and  that  each 
field  would  come  up  in  its  turn  for  special 
notice.  Only  once  did  they  break  the  line 
of  actual  review  of  facts  to  romance  a  little 
over  what  the  future  might  bring  them ;  this 
was  when  they  reached  the  last  month  of  the 
year,  and  Syria  was  called  for.  Then  all 
eyes  were  turned,  with  sort  of  tender  eagerness, 
on  the  blushing  face  of  Lena  Bacon. 

"  Mrs.  Spafford,  you  will  certainly  let  Lena 
talk  as  long  as  she  wants  to  ? "  pleaded  two 
or  three  voices,  and  Mrs.  Spafford,  smiling, 
albeit  the  tears  were  very  near  the  surface, 
declared  her  willingness  to  listen  to  whatever 
Lena  had  to  say ;  but  she,  blushing,  smiling, 


496  The  Pocket  Measure. 

could  at  first  say  nothing  at  all.  The  simple 
truth  was,  she  was  on  the  eve  of  passing  beyond 
the  realm  of  mere  saying  into  the  actual  per 
sonal  doing,  in  the  far  away  land. 

Aye,  Mrs.  Spafford's  mission  band  were  to 
have  a  missionary  of  their  "  very  own,"  sent 
out  from  their  home  and  hearts ;  arid,  in  the 
strange  sweet  providence  of  God,  this  was 
none  other  than  Lena  Bacon  —  she  whom  you 
will  possibly  remember  as  one  who  declared 
frankly,  on  the  day  of  this  band's  organization, 
that  she  "  did  not  believe  in  Foreign  .Mis 
sions  I  "  "  The  Lord  holdeth  the  hearts  of  his 
people." 

Lena  was,  despite  this  childish  folly,  one 
of  his  own,  and  in  his  time  he  set  the  very  in 
most  longings  of  her  heart  of  hearts  on  the 
work  abroad,  and  called  her  to  prepare  to  drop 
seed  there.  And  she  was  going,  in  her  youth 
and  beauty ;  sacrificing,  so  it  looked  to  others, 
with  no  meager  hand,  since  she  had  every 
thing  to  leave,  that  this  world  can  give  ;  but 
never  did  young  heart  sacrifice  more  loyally 
or  joyfully.  And  Mrs.  Bacon,  her  mother, 
had  moved  step  by  etep,  during  this  term  of 


Then  and  Now.  497 

years,  from  an  actual  opposer  to  a  silent  looker- 
on,  then  to  a  faint  and  distant  follower,  then 
to  one  who  read,  in  silvery  voice  and  well- 
chosen  sentences,  beautiful  reports  about 
"sacrifice  and  gave  annually  her  hundreds, 
without  knowing  that  they  were  gone,  Cl 
earing  greatly  what  they  did,  then  suddenly 
had  stepped  into  the  very  forefront  of  sacrifice, 
learning  by  the  deep  throbbings  of  her  mother- 
heart,  what  the  word  meant,  for  she  was  giv 
ing  her  only  darling.  And  she  did  give  her ; 
not  without  a  struggle  at  first,  not  without  count 
ing  the  cost  with  tearful  protests,  again  arid 
again  and  again;  but  she  had  already  come 
to  know  that  sacrifice  for  Christ  is  sweet, 
and  that  he  has  a  special  and  very  tender 
place  for  those  who  give  to  him  their  best. 
So  now,  where  her  body,  and  in  a  degree 
her  purse,  had"'  been  for  several  years,  the 
workers  in  Temple  Street  Church  recognized 
that  she  brought  her  soul.  And  in  a  few 
months  more  Lena  was  going.  Not  alone? 
Oh,  no! 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

"GOOD   MEASURE." 

OT  alone,  in  any  sense  of  the  word  ; 
the  all-reaching  promise:  "Lo,  I  am 
with  you  always,  even  unto  the  end  of 
the  world,"  had  sounaed  down  to  her  through 
the  ages,  and  felt  to  her  heart  as  though  He 
who  is  "  the  same  yesterday,  to-day,  and 
forever,"  had  spoken  the  word  but  yesterday 
to  her  individual  need. 

Not  alone  as  regarded  human  love  and  care, 
for  she  had  been  chosen  by  one  who  counted 
it  a  special  and  crowning  mercy  of  the  Master 
whom  he  served,  that  just  she  and  no  other 
in  all  the  world  had  been  called  to  walk  with 
him  on  his  life  journey.  Are  you  interested  to 
498 


"  G-ood  Measure"  499 

know  who  this  other  was  ?  Do  you  remember 
the  nephew,  Charlie,  and  the  muffins  for  tea, 
and  the  extra  lumps  of  coal  in  the  grate, 
and  the  buffetings  of  Satan  which  Mrs. 
Spafford  endured  on  their  account,  when 
he  whispered  in  her  ear :  "  To  what  purpose 
is  this  waste  ?  These  lumps  of  coal  might 
have  been  saved,  and  thus  the  money  which 
must  now  be  taken  to  buy  other  lumps  have 
been  dropped  into  your  mite-box  to  swell 
the  general  fund."  His  wretched  attempts  to 
appear  as  an  "  angel  of  light,"  were  long 
since  silenced  by  a  word  from  the  Master, 
which  Mrs.  Spafford  took  to  him  as  her  answer ; 
"In  the  morning  sow  thy  seed,  and  in  the 
evening  withhold  not  thine  hand :  for  thou 
knowest  not  whether  shall  prosper,  this  or 
that,  or  whether  they  both  shall  be  alike 
good." 

And  now  behold,  he  had  indeed  prospered, 
aye  and  given  already  a  tenfold  harvest ;  for 
it  was  Charlie,  the  nephew  who  was  going 
in  a  few  months  to  carry  on  her  work,  right 
in  the  centre  of  the  field,  while  she  worked 
still  at  home.  Only  a  few  months  before  he 


500  The  Pocket  Measure. 

had  graduated,  and  been  ordained  to  preach 
the  everlasting  gospel.  Truly  there  are  times 
in  which  God  proves  that  a  "  day  with  him 
is  as  a  thousand  years." 

Looking  back  upon  the  story  of  her  past, 
Mrs.  Spafford  marvelled  sometimes  that  even 
Crod  could  work  so  fast  or  bring  such  wonder- 
ous  things  to  pass.  Not  the  least  among  her 
joys  was  the  fact  that  the  one  who  had  quietly 
borne  all  the  expense  of  "  Charlie's  education 
and  outfit  for  his  far-away  field,  was  the  carpet 
clerk,  Mr.  Johns. 

"He-is  my  contribution  to  Foreign  Missions," 
the  widower  was  apt  to  say,  with  a  humorous 
shake  of  his  gray  head,  when  the  church  hinted 
its  desire  to  share  some  of  the  honor  with  him. 
"  Charlie  is  my  contribution  ;  Mrs.  Spafford  was 
always  asking  me  to  give  to  Foreign  Missions 
the  very  money  that  I  had  been  saving  up  for 
Charlie.  I  wanted  to  please  her,  arid  I  wanted 
him  to  have  the  money,  and  so  I  just  made  up 
my  mind  to  lump  it.  Charlie  belongs  to  me." 

Ah,  yes,  with  limitations.  Long  before  this 
had  Mr.  Johns  recognized  and  bowed  before  a 
higher  ownership  both  for  Charlie  and  himself. 


"  G-ood  Measure"  501 

"  Bought  with  a  price."  And  the  day  in  which 
he  and  Charlie  stood  together  in  the  church,  and 
gave  public  recognition  of  this  eternal  owner 
ship  was  one  of  the  happiest  in  Mrs.  Spafford's 
life.  Could  she  do  other  than  rejoice  that  he 
had  said  to  them  in  private: 

"  I  told  the  Lord,  Mr.  Spafford,  that  you  and 
your  wife  had  brought  in  this  worthless  old 
sheaf,  as  well  as  the  younger  one  (who  I  think 
will  yet  bring  others  with  him).  The  Lord 
knows  it  is  true,  and  he  knows  that  with  you 
to  show  me  how,  I  mean  to  try  to  go  home  not 
entirely  empty-handed." 

There  was  no  danger  of  it.  More  than  one 
gem  already  sparkles  in  the  crown  set  aside  and 
waiting  for  that  gray  head. 

Now  during  this  long  retrospect  of  ours,  the 
Young  Ladies'  Missionary  Meeting  has  gone 
steadily  on.  As  I  said,  they  ran  off  their  track 
with  Lena  long  enough  to  launch  out  in  a 
dozen  questions  as  to  what  she  meant  to  do 
about  this,  and  that,  and  the  other ;  and  she, 
as  entirely  and  happily  at  home  with  them  as 
though  they  had  been  her  sisters  in  the  flesh, 
gave  ready  answers  and  took  sweet  counsel 


502  The  Pocket  Measure. 

with  them,  realizing  that  there  was  between 
them  a  bond  of  union  stronger  than  death,  and 
strengthening  with  every  passing  day.  This 
talk  in  nowise  unfitted  them  for  the  ten  minutes 
of  prayer,  in  which  nearly  every  lady  in  that 
room  gave  audible  expression  to  her  love  for 
Christ  and  his  cause,  and  her  desire  that  their 
special  treasure  Lena,  might  be  upborne  by  his 
everlasting  arm. 

Then  they  sang,  "  Blest  be  the  tie  that  binds," 
and  the  January  meeting  was  over. 

"  How  do  you  get  it  to  sound  so  little  like  a 
meeting  ?  "  questioned  an  interested  visitor  one 
day.  "Why  I  mean,  you  know,  the  absence  of 
all  formality  is  so  striking ;  they  just  talk  away 
as  though  they  were  having  a  good  time ;  and 
yet  they  are  thoroughly  well-prepared  ;  it  can 
not  be  just  a  chance  conversation  which  they 
hold." 

"  Yes  it  is,"  declared  Mrs.  Evans  ;  "  that  is,  if 
you  please  to  call  it  so.  The  young  ladies  pre 
pare  themselves  with  great  thoroughness,  taking 
time  and  care,  and  then  the  mere  words  in 
which  they  clothe  their  thoughts  for  the  meet 
ing  are  as  much  chance  as  yours  are  when  you 


"  G-ood  Measure"  503 

remark  to  me  that  it  is  an  unusually  cold  day. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  you  have  observed  the 
weather  before  this,  consulted  a  thermometer, 
it  may  be,  compared  the  weather  report  of  this 
date  with  the  corresponding  one  of  last  year ; 
in  other  words,  you  have  perhaps  prepared 
yourself  to  give  an  intelligent  and  correct  esti 
mate  of  the  weather,  but  the  words  in  which 
you  make  the  statement  are  entirely  unstudied." 

"I  understand,"  the  visitor  said;  "but  still 
I  don't  see  how  you  ever  get  them -to  study  up 
and  be  ready ;  nor  how  they  contrive  to  appear 
so  natural  and  unconstrained  about  it  when 
they  are  ready." 

"  They  will  not  study,  until  they  are  inter 
ested,  and  have  something  to  study  for ;  it  is 
the  result  of  long  training.  Mrs.  Spafford  has 
simply  been  indefatigable  in  that,  as  in  every 
thing  else  that  she  undertakes ;  and  she  has 
had  Mrs.  Temple  to  consult  and  lead  her  on. 
Her  custom  for  years  has  been  to  give  a  mission 
station  to  a  certain  number  of  girls  for  three 
months.  They  are  supposed  to  post  themselves 
thoroughly  about  that  station,  and  whatever 
question  we  may  chance  to  ask  of  them  con- 


504  The  Pocket  Measure. 

cerning  it,  if  they  cannot  answer,  and  it  is  an 
swerable,  they  are  expected  to  be  ready  with 
the  item  the  next  time  they  meet  us.  At  the 
end  of  three  months  they  change,  each  taking 
another  field.  In  this  way  all  the  girls,  except 
the  quite  new  ones,  have  had  each  of  the  sta 
tions  ;  so  of  course  they  know  a  good  deal  about 
them.  And  there  is  always  a  sort  of  pride  in 
standing  up  for  the-  country  to  which  one  hap 
pens  to  belong  for  the  time  being.  As  for  the 
unconstraint,  they  feel  no  constraint,  so  of  course 
exhibit  none ;  they  have  been  trained  to  talk 
on  this  topic  exactly  as  they  discuss  the  weather 
or  the  fashions,  or  the  last  book  they  have  read. 
You  notice  that  they  continue  their  work,  ex 
cept  during  the  strictly  devotional  exercises,  and 
the  talk  is  frequently  interrupted  by  a  call  for 
the  scissors,  or  the  canvas,  or  the  blue,  or  red, 
or  green  silk.  Mrs.  Spafford,  after  careful  study 
became  convinced  that  this  informal  way  of 
managing  the  matter,  allowing  the  interruptions 
that  would  naturally  occur  in  common  conver 
sation,  was  the  best  way  of  helping  the  girls 
to  feel  at  home  and  informal.  It  has  worked  well." 
Now  I  have  given  you,  as  I  promised,  just  a 


"  G-ood  Measure"  505 

glimpse  of  the  Young  Ladies'  Band.  It  could 
realty  be  only  a  glimpse,  for  I  have  neither  time 
nor  ability  to  let  you  at  once  into  the  inner 
workings  of  this  carefully  planned  and  skillfully 
officered  scheme.  No  general  of  an  army,  plan 
ning  his  campaign,  could  work  more  steadily, 
patiently,  and  with  a  more  single  eye  to  victory, 
than  did  the  mature  brains  that  had  taken  hold 
with  these  young  things  to  do  battle  for  the 
Lord.  To  be  sure  they  had  many  helpers  now, 
among  the  young  people  themselves.  A  few 
years  really  makes  veterans  of  people  who  are 
in  earnest ;  and  a  number  of  those  who  had. 
taken  hold  of  the  work  as  quite  young  girls, 
remained  as  mature  young  ladies  to  drill  with 
the  new  recruits,  who  were  constantly  gather 
ing.  Many  had  married  and  gone  out  from 
them,  it  is  true ;  but  enough  of  the  old  material 
remained  to  keep  the  business  part  of  the  enter- 
prize  from  ever  being  the  ponderous  and  some 
what  hazardous  experiment  that  it  was  when 
Mrs.  Spafford  first  put  her  shoulder  to  the 
wheel. 

Meantime  that  lady's  afternoon  work  was  by 
no  means  finished,  with   the  close  of  the  meet- 


506  The  Pocket  Measure. 

ing ;  she  hastened  home  as  soon  as  she  could 
break  away  from  groups  of  talkers  who  all  had 
questions  of  immediate  importance  to  press. 
She  had  good  reason  to  make  haste,  for  she  was 
well  aware  that  another  missionary  meeting  was 
in  progress,  which  was  liable  by  this  time  to 
need  her  immediate  attention.  I  trust  you  have 
not  forgotten  young  Warren  Spafford ;  he  has 
arrived  at  an  age  in  which  it  is  not  easy  to  for 
get  any  boy  who  is  within  reasonable  distance ; 
and  young  Warren  was  by  no  means  the  sort 
of  boy  to  sink  into  oblivion.  No  meek  and  quiet 
spirit  was  he,  but  a  vigorous,  loud-voiced,  quick 
witted,  wide-awake  fellow  as  you  will  be  likely 
to  find  at  eight  years  of  age.  He  was  a  boy 
who  developed  constantly  in  the  line  of  schemes. 
Daring  ones,  intricate  in  their  nature,  were  con 
stantly  appearing  to  him  to  be  worked  up. 
Some  of  these  plans  were  practical,  and  others 
were  decidedly  and  hopelessly  the  reverse  ;  but 
of  this  last  he  could  never  be  convinced  by 
previous  experience  ;  each  individual  plan  had 
to  be  faithfully  tried  before  he  was  ready  to 
abandon  it. 

His  last  experiment   had   been  a   missionary 


"  Good  Measure"  507 

meeting  among  the  boys,  suddenly  projected  on 
his  mother  without  word  of  warning.  Three 
gatherings  had  been  held,  and  with  a  code  of 
laws  that,  to  say  the  least,  was  original,  and  a 
programme  that  was  unique,  enthusiasm  was 
still  at  white  heat.  His  mother,  looking  on, 
wondering  whether  this  was  really  seed,  spring 
ing  up  on  fertile  soil,  or  a  dream  that  would 
come  to  naught,  did  what  she  could  to  encour 
age  the  small  people,  and  bided  her  time.  "  If 
I  had  only  planned  it  for  him,"  she  told  herself, 
smiling  over  some  of  the  quaint  plans  which  she 
had  not  made,  "  perhaps  it  might  really  have 
developed  well ;  but  how  could  I  plan  when  the 
queer  little  fellow  started  it  up  suddenly,  appar 
ently  full  fledged?  Never  mind,  'out  of  the 
mouths  of  babes  He  has  ordained  praise ; ' 
perhaps  this  will  grow  to  his  prnise."  One 
thing  seemed  certain,  that  if  he  lived,  Warren 
Spafford  would  in  some  way  fulfil  the  hopes 
of  his  babyhood ;  for  if  his  enthusiasm  could 
be  said  to  center  on  any.  one  thing,  and  hold 
itself  with  an  ever  increasing  fervor,  that 
thing  was  the  world  of  missions. 

Standing  at   the  front  window  of  the  house 


508  The  Pocket  Measure. 

opposite  her  own  was  a  pale-faced,  hollow-eyed, 
discontented-looking  woman ;  if  you  had  been 
near  to  her,  you  would  not  have  had  to  look 
very  closely  to  trace  lines  of  unrest,  many  and 
heavily  marked,  on  her  white,  dreary  face. 
She  had  aged  in  the  passing  years  far  more 
than  the  other  ladies,  which  possibly  you 
will  not  think  strange  when  I  tell  you  she 
is  Jennie  Coleman,  and  that  she  has  come  to 
live  with  her  cousin,  Mrs.  Evans.  That  last 
sentence  gives  you  a  hint,  at  least,  of  family 
disunion  and  trouble. 

Speedy  as  Mrs.  Spafford's  transit  had  been, 
her  neighbor  had  reached  home  before  her, 
and  was  np-stairs  now,  ready  to  have  Mrs. 
Coleman's  ceaseless  observations  on  passers  by 
poured  at  her. 

"  There  is  Gallic !  I  wonder  why  she  per 
sists  in  wearing  that  cloak?  It  is  too  short 
for  the  present  style,  and  never  became  her 
very  well,  either.  But  then  I  know  why  she 
wears  it ;  just  because  she  is  too  penurious 
to  get  another.  That  is  just  like  Callie 
Spafford,  and  it  was  just  like  Callie  Howell. 
I  should  think  she  might  remember  now,  that 


"  G-ood  Measure."  509 

she  is  a  rich  woman ;  but  it  is  inborn,  that 
trait  in  her  character.  She  is  just  as  careful 
and  economical  as  when  she  was  first  married 
and  lived  in  that  old  little  house.  Do  you 
remember  that  day  we  met  her  at  the  store, 
and  she  wouldn't  buy  asparagus  because  it 
was  so  expensive  ?  Well,  I  met  her  down 
town  yesterday,  and  pointed  out  some  elegant 
hot-house  grapes  to  her.  They  were  so  lovely 
they  fairly  made  my  mouth  water ;  and  do 
you  believe  she  wouldn't  buy  them  ?  She 
said  they  were  out  of  season,  and  so  expen 
sive  that  she  must  not  look  their  way.  The 
idea  of  her  talking  that  way,  and  her  husband 
a  partner  in  one  of  the  largest  houses  in  the 
city!" 

Mrs.  Evans  laughed.  Once  her  face  would 
have  flushed,  and  her  eyes  flashed  over  this 
sort  of  comment  on  her  friend ;  but  she  had 
learned  at  last  to  live  away  above  Jennie's 
unwearied  tongue,  accounting  it  as  not  of  the 
smallest  consequence  save  to  her  own  bitter 
heart  what  the  poor  tongue  kept  saying. 

"  I  suppose  she  thinks  she  must  be  consci 
entious  in  the  use  of  money  even  though 


510  The  Pocket  Measure* 

she    has     considerable,"     she    said     pleasantly. 

"  Oh,  conscientious,  that's  all  nonsense  !  "  ve 
hemently  declared  Mrs.  Coleman.  "  She  was 
lorn  so  and  cannot  help  it,  I  tell  you.  It  is 
just  as  natural  for  her  to  save  as  it  is  to 
breathe,  and  I  must  say  I  think  it  is  an  ex 
ceedingly  unbecoming  trait ;  it  did  well  enough 
when  she  was  poor,  but  in  her  present  cir 
cumstances  it  is  very  noticeable.  You  are  not 
naturally  that  way,  Eva ;  I  don't  think  as  a 
girl  you  were  in  the  least  penurious,  but  you 
are  so  fond  of  copying  Callie  Spafford  that 
I  tremble  for  you.  It  is  growing  real  hard 
for  you  to  buy  anything  that  you  can  do 
without.  Such  a  low,  poverty-stricken  position 
to  take  when  there  is  no  manner  of  occasion." 

Now,  when  we  consider  the  fact  that  Mrs. 
Evans  was  daily  spending  money  for  the  care 
and  comfort  of  this,  her  homeless  cousin,  she 
might  perhaps  be  pardoned  for  feeling  the 
plain  words  a  trifle  ;  but  they  provoked  from 
her  only  a  smile ;  they  were  actually  too  foolish 
to  feel. 

"  Oh,  you  must  remember  that  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Spafford  frequently  prove  the  fact  that  they 


"  Q-ood  Measure"  511 

have  money,  by  the  way  in  which  they  give 
it,  if  they  don't  by  spending,"  she  said,  speak 
ing  lightly. 

"Oh,  give!  I  am  not  likely  to  forget  it. 
That  is  another  hobby  of  theirs  which  they 
ride  to  death.  I  think  it  is  quite  as  silly  an 
extreme  as  the  other ;  the  idea  of  the  Spaf- 
fords  giving  two  hundred  dollars  to  the  col 
lection  for  Foreign  Missions  in  addition  to  all 
that  she  does  in  the  Band !  It  is  perfectly 
absurd.  Millionaires  don't  do  much  more  than 
that.  It  is  nothing  but  pride  ;  scrimp  and  save 
to  see  how  much  they  can  give.  That  is  an 
other  thing  in  which  you  and  Dane  are  copy 
ing  as  hard  as  you  can.  I  don't  see  how  Dane 
can  do  it;  he  seems  to  be  independent  enough 
about  some  things.  You  never  were  inde 
pendent,  Eva,  but  I  wouldn't  tie  myself  down 
to  any  copy  if  I  were  you." 

"  That  is  really  what  I  am  trying  to  do," 
said  Mrs.  Evans,  sweetly  and  simply ;  "  He  is 
our  pattern,  you  know ;  Dane  and  I  both  want 
to  copy  him  very  closely." 

"  Oh,  pshaw  !  "  said  Mrs.  Coleman,  giving  an 
impatient  twitch  to  her  shoulders,  her  whole 


512  The  Pocket  Measure. 

face  gathering  in  a  frown ;  she  called  all  such 
words  cant.  After  a  moment  of  irritable  si 
lence  she  went  back  to  the  charge :  "  I  declare 
I  believe  Gallic  Spafford  is  a  monomaniac  on 
giving ;  and  she  is  bringing  up  her  child  to  be 
just  like  her.  He  has  a  rosewood  box  perched 
on  the  mantle  in  his  own  room,  and  he  took 
me  in  to  see  it  the  other  night,  and  talked  to 
me  about  his  '  tenths '  as  largely  as  though  he 
were  a  merchant  prince ;  for  all  the  world 
like  his  father ;  earning  money  he  is,  too, 
like  the  child  of  a  day  laborer.  Well,  Callie 
was  a  queer  girl  in  every  respect,  and  she 
has  certainly  made  a  queer  woman."  Then 
the  flow  of  talk  was  interrupted  by  a  long- 
drawn  sigh,  and  after  a  moment  she  added 
in  a  low,  dreary  voice :  "  It  is  a  strange  world. 
Think  of  you  two  girls  beginning  life  as  poor 
as  }rou  did  ;  and  your  husbands,  in  just  these 
few  years,  on  the  way  to  being  rich  men,  while 
I  am  a  miserable,  wrecked  woman,  no  home,  no 
husband,  no  friends." 

And  the  talk  ended  as  it  so  often  did  in 
a  burst  of  sobs.  Poor  Jennie  Coleman !  It 
was  of  no  avail  to  attempt  consolation,  Mrs. 


'•'•Good  Measure"  513 

Evans  knew  this  by  past  experience  only  too 
well.  At  such  times  words  only  seemed  to  have 
power  to  irritate.  She  was  deeply,  painfully 
sorry  for  her  cousin  ;  but  there  was  no  truthful 
way  of  saying  so,  without  leaving  at  least  the 
inference  that  much  of  the  fault  of  her  wretched 
life  was  her  own.  No  husband  !  not  that  the 
grave  had  closed  over  him.  Mrs.  Evans  could 
not  fail  to  see  that  the  unloving  wife  would 
have  been  better  pleased  if  it  had.  The  Tin- 
wearied  exertions  of  Dane  Evans  and  Mr. 
Spafford  had  at  last  prevailed,  and  the  wreck 
of  the  once  "perfect  gentleman,"  Will  Coleman, 
had  consented  to  shut  himself  inside  the  walls 
of  an  inebriate  asylum.  Whether  he  would 
ever  come  back  into  the  world  of  men  a 
saved  man,  God  only  knew.  One  of  the  hardest 
features  of  it  all  was,  that  his  miserable,  dis 
appointed  wife  not  only  had  no  hope  of  him, 
but  did  not  seem  to  want  to  have.  Think 
ing  of  it  all  —  of  the  eagerness  of  this  young 
couple  to  be  rich,  of  the  strides  towards  it 
which  they  thought  themselves  making ;  of 
the  family  across  the  way,  and  the  almost  un 
broken  tide  of  prosperity  that  had  flowed  in 


514  The  Pocket  Measure. 

upon  them  since  the  hour  when  they  held  to 
principle  rather  than  to  bread  (if  there  must 
a  choice  be  made),  thinking  of  their  own  signal 
leading,  and  of  the  wonderful  "  tenths  "  which 
God  had  given  to  both  families  in  these  last 
years  —  Mrs.  Evans  thought,  but  by  no  means 
said :  "  There  is  that  maketh  himself  rich,  yet 
hath  nothing.  There  is  that  maketh  himself 
poor,  yet  hath  great  riches."  Was  that  verse 
written  for  the  purpose  of  giving  to  the  world 
a  history  of  these  three  families?  When  will 
the  world  by  observation  learn  wisdom? 

"  Mamma,"  said  young  Warren,  his  cheeks 
very  red,  his  eyes  aglow;  "we  made  a  thank 
offering  to-day.  I  told  the  boys  about  your 
thank  offering  in  the  Band,  you  know,  and  they 
liked  it,  and  they  each  gave  a  cent  more  than 
their  tenths,  and  you  know  the  gold  dollar  that 
Uncle  Dane  gave  me  for  my  birthday ;  well,  I 
gave  the  half  of  that  for  a  thank  offering. 
We  gave  it  because  we  are  all  so  happy,  and 
having  a  grand  time.  Wasn't  that  a  good 
reason,  mamma  ?  "  A  thoughtful  pause,  during 
which  the  bright,  dark  eyes  took  on  a  gleam,  as 
though  within  the  soul  was  born  some  great  re- 


'•Good  Measure."  515 

solve,  and  then  he  said  :  "  Mamma,  I  am  going 
to  pray  to  Jesus  to  make  me  well  enough  off 
when  I'm  a  man  so  that  I  can  give  half  of  my 
money  for  thank  offerings.  I  mean  half  of  what 
is  left  after  the  tenths  are  taken  out:  of  course 
I'd  give  them;  they  belong.  But  I  want  to 
give  something,  you  know,  besides  what  be 
longs  ;  and  there'll  be  enough  things  to  be 
thankful  for,  won't  there  ?  " 

Looking  down  into  his  eager  face  and  smiling 
eyes,  the  mother  stooped  and  kissed  him,  once 
and  again,  and  again,  and  repeated  aloud  to  her 
self  rather  than  him,  that  old-time  promise  hav 
ing  this  seal :  "  I  have  spoken  it,  I  will  also 
bring  it  to  pass:  Give  and  it  shall  be  given 
unto  you,  good  measure,  pressed  down,  and 
shaken  together,  and  running  over,  shall  men 
give  into  your  bosom.  For  with  the  same 
measure  that  ye  mete  withal  it  shall  be  meas 
ured  to  you  again." 


THE  END. 


BOOKS    FOR    CLERGYMEN. 

The  Teachers'  Helper,  by  "Pansy" — Mrs.  George  L. 
Alden,  —  is  a  volume  which  no  teacher  of  Sunday-school 
children  can  afford  to  do  without.  It  is  exactly  what  its 
name  signifies,  a  helper.  No  writer  of  books  in  this  country 
is  better  qualified  to  give  advice  to  teachers  than  Pansy,  and 
could  the  volume  now  before  us  be  put  into  the  hands  of 
every  one  entrusted  with  the  Scriptural  teaching  of  children, 
and  further,  could  its  suggestions  be  carried  into  practice, 
the  results  would  be  surprising  even  to  the  most  experienced 
of  Sunday-school  workers.  The  Helper  is  intended  as  a 
manual  for  the  instruction  of  younger  scholars,  chiefly 
series  of  class  exercises  to  be  pursued,  based  on  the  lessons 
of  the  author's  long  experience  as  a  teacher;  explains  how 
they  should  be  conducted;  attacks  certain  popular  notions 
respecting  the  capacity  of  little  children  to  learn  and  under 
stand,  and  shows  their  absurdity;  urges  patience,  earnest 
ness  and  the  exercise  of  judgment  on  the  part  of  the  teach 
ers:  and  proffers  an  amount  of  good,  sound  advice  on  the 
whole  vast  subject,  that  cannot  help  being  an  aid  and  en 
couragement  to  any  faithful  or  interested  teacher. 

Poetry  is  a  hardly  less  powerful  agency  in  arousing  and 
interesting  the  mind  in  religious  matters  than  prose.  Hymns 
and  spiritual  songs  play  an  important  part  in  devotional  ex 
ercises  and  many  hearts  are  impressed  by  the  part  which  the 
preacher  fails  to  reach.  The  publishers  have  not  been  un 
mindful  of  this  fact,  and  their  list  includes  several  impor 
tant  volumes  desisned  to  fill  this  need.  Prominent  among 
them  are  Roundell  Palmer's  Book  of  Praise,  containing  the 
choicest  hymns  which  have  been  written,  gathered  from  all 
sources;  He  Leadeth  Me,  a  collection  of  poems  by  English 
authors  of  a  purely  devotional  character;  Songs  of  the  Spirit, 
edited  by  Bishop  Odenheimer,  and  The  Rock  of  Ages,  a 
volume  of  religious  poetry  compiled  by  the  Rev.  S.  F.  Smith- 
D.D.  All  these  are  published  in  two  editions  —  one  for 
holiday  presentation  purposes  and  one  in  popular  and 
cheaper  form.  For  religious  gift  books  adapted  to  any  sea, 
son  of  the  year  are  the  small  quartos,  Jesus  Lover  of  my  Soul, 
The  Ninety  andNinet  and  Miss  Lathbury's  Out  of  Darkness 
into  Light. 


NEW  PUBLICATIONS. 


CHIPS  FKOM  TUB  WHITE  HOUSE. — 12  mo.  486  pp.  $1.50 
What  the  press  says  of  it: 

In  this  handsome  volume  of  five  hundred  pages  have  been 
brought  together  some  of  the  most  important  utterances  of 
our  twenty  presidents,  carefully  selected  from  speeches  and 
addresses,  public  documents  and  private  correspondence, 
and  touching  upon  a  large  variety  of  subjects. —  Golden 
Rule,  Boston. 

Most  of  the  extracts  are  dated  and  accompanied  by  brief 
explanations  of  the  circumstances  under  which  they  were 
written,  and  the  volume,  therefore,  if  judiciously  read,  will 
give  a  clearer  idea  of  the  character  of  the  men  than  can  be 
gathered  elsewhere  by  reading  a  small  library  through. — 
New  York  Graphic. 

The  selections  are  made  with  judgment  and  taste,  and 
represent  not  only  the  political  status  of  the  distinguished 
writers,  but  also  their  social  and  domestic  characteristics. 
The  book  is  interesting  in  itself,  and  specially  valuable  as 
a  convenient  book  of  reference  for  students  of  American 
history.  Its  mechanical  presentation  is  all  that  can  be 
asked. —  Providence  Journal. 

Each  chapter  is  prefaced  by  a  brief  synoposis  of  the  life 
and  services  of  its  subject,  and  most  of  the  extracts  are  dated, 
with  brief  explanations  of  the  circumstances  under  which 
they  were  written.  The  work,  in  fact,  is  a  handbook.  It 
is  convenient  for  reference  of  American  history.  It  is 
printed  in  clear,  large  type,  is  tastefully  and  strongly  bound, 
and  is  supplemented  by  a  very  full  index. —  Woman's  Jour 
nal,  Boston. 

The  book  is  thoroughly  good  ;  none  better  could  be 
placed  in  the  hands  of  young  persons.  By  the  light  of 
these  they  can  see  the  reflection  of  the  character  of  the 
grand  men  who  have  been  called  to  rule  over  the  Nation 
during  its  existence.  No  other  nation  ever  had  such  a 
succsssion  of  rulers,  where  so  few  have  proved  failures. — 
Inter  Ocean,  Chicago. 


NEW  PUBLICATIONS. 

Egypt*  occupied  the  geographical  centre  of  the  ancient 
world.  It  was  fertile  and  attractive.  Its  inhabitants  were 
polished,  cultivated,  and  warlike.  Its  great  cities  were  cen 
tres  of  wealth  and  civilization,  and  from  the  most  distant 
countries  came  scholars  and  travellers  to  learn  wisdom  under 
Egyptian  masters  and  study  the  arts,  sciences  and  govern 
mental  policy  of  the  country.  While  surrounding  nations 
were  sunk  in  primitive  barbarism  Egypt  shone  as  the  patron 
of  arts  and  acquirements.  With  a  natural  thirst  for  con 
quest  she  introduced  a  system  of  military  tactics  which 
made  her  armies  almost  invincible.  Her  wisdom  was  a 
proverb  among  the  surrounding  nations.  "  If  a  philoso 
pher,"  says  Wilkinson,  "sought  knowledge,  Egypt  was  the 
school;  if  a  prince  required  a  physician  it  was  to  Egypt  that 
lie  applied:  if  any  material  point  perplexed  the  decision  of 
Kings  or  councils,  to  Egypt  it  was  referred,  and  the  arms  of 
a  Pharaoh  were  the  hope  and  frequently  the  protection,  even 
at  a  late  period,  of  a  less  powerful  ally.  It  would  surprise 
many  readers  to  know  how  much  in  customs,  social  and 
religious,  has  come  down  to  us  from  this  ancient  people. 
Placing  the  ring  on  the  bride's  finger  at  marriage  is  an  in 
stance.  The  Egyptian  gold  pieces  were  in  the  form  of  rings, 
and  the  husband  placed  one  on  the  finger  of  his  wife  as  an 
emblem  of  the  fact  that  he  entrusted  her  henceforth  with 
all  his  property.  The  celebration  of  Twelfth  Day  and  Cand 
lemas  are  Egyptian  festivals  under  different  names.  The 
Catholic  priest  sliaves  his  head  because  the  Egyptian  priests 
did  the  same  ages  before;  the  English  clergyman  reads  the 
liturgy  in  a  linen  dress  because  linen  was  the  dress  of  the 
Egyptians,  and  more  than  two  thousand  years  before  the 
bishop  of  the  Church  of  Rome  pretended  to  hold  the  keys 
of  heaven  and  hell  there  was  a  priest  in  Egypt  whose  title 
was  the  Appointed  Keeper  of  the  Two  Doors  of  Heaven. 

It  is  not  strange  that  the  story  of  this  people  and  country 
should  be  so  fascinating.  There  is  an  element  of  the  mys 
terious  in  it  which  attracts  even  the  reader  who  does  not 
care  for  historical  reading  in  general.  In  the  preparation 
of  her  work  Mrs.  Clement  has  not  only  had  the  advantage 
of  extensive  reading  upon  the  subject,  but  of  personal  travel 
and  knowledge.  She  has  skilfully  condensed  the  vast 
amount  of  material  at  her  command,  and  presents  to  the 
reading  public  a  volume  which  needs  only  to  be  examined 
to  become  a  standard. 

*  Egypt.     By  Mrs.  Clara  Erskine  Clement.     Lothrop's  Library  of    Enter- 
aining  History.     Boston:  D.  Lothrop  &  Co.     Price  $  1.50. 


BOOKS    FOR    CLERGYMEN. 

The  list  of  D.  Lothrop  &  Go's  more  important  books  is 
especially  rich  iu  works  prepared  to  meet  the  wants  of 
clergymen,  Sunday-school  superintendents  and  teachers. 
Among  them  are  collections  of  sermons  by  eminent  preach 
ers,  full  of  thought,  and'abounding  in  practical  suggestions; 
essays  upon  doctrinal  points ;  discussions  of  various  methods 
of  preaching  and  teaching;  church  history  and  biography; 
books  of  scriptural  reference  and  exegesis,  and  collections  of 
poetry  of  a  devotional  character.  They  are  invaluable  as 
working  tools  for  carrying  on  the  practical  work  of  the 
church.  Some  of  thorn  have  been  before  the  public  for 
years  and  have  gained  a  high  and  secure  place  iu  the  esti 
mation  of  the  clergy  and  teachers  alike;  others,  not  less  im 
portant  or  helpful  in  character,  are  new,  and  result  from 
later  needs  in  the  church  and  Sunday-school. 

How  to  Conduct  Prayer  Meetings,  by  Rev.  Lewis  O 
Thompson,  comes  prominently  under  this  list,  a  volume 
•which  has  attained  a  wide  popularity.  Dr.  Thompson's 
theory  of  what  a  prayer-meeting  should  be  is  based  upon  the 
fact  that  it  is,  in  the  main,  a  gathering  of  professing  Chris 
tians  for  conference  and  edification,  and  not  a  revival  ser 
vice  for  the  conversion  of  the  impenitent.  The  inquiry 
meeting  has  taken  the  place  of  the  former  revival  prayer- 
meetings  to  a  great  extent,  and  has  been  found  far  more 
efficacious  in  producing  results.  A  brief  introduction  is 
furnished  by  the  Eev.  J.  H.  Vincent,  D.  D.,  in  which  the 
work  is  warmly  commended  to  the  notice  of  all  Christian 
workers,  for  its  sound,  practical  sense,  and  deep  religions 
purpose.  Nor  will  Dr.  Vincent  be  alone  in  his  estimate  of 
its  worth.  It  should  be  read  by  every  pastor,  by  every 
class  leader,  by  every  church  member.  It  will  serve  to  clear 
away  many  false  impressions,  inspire  fresh  ardor  and  en 
thusiasm  among  hike-warm  church  goers,  and  will  be  an 
efficient  aid  in  the  promotion  of  Christian  feeling  and 
Christian  work. 


NEW    PUBLICATIONS. 


A  BOOK  OF  GOLDEN  DEEDS,  OF  ALL  TIMES  AND  LANDS. 
Gathered  and  narrated  by  Charlotte  M.  Yonge.  Illustrated. 
Boston:  D.  Lothrop  &  Co.  Price  $1.25.  The  rapidly 
increasing  popularity  of  this  little  volume,  and  the  steady 
demand  for  it  have  induced  the  Messrs.  Lothrop  to  bring 
out  a  new  edition  in  handsome  form  and  yet  at  a  price 
•which  brings  it  within  the  reach  of  every  reader.  Excellent 
as  are  all  Miss  Yonge's  books,  there  is  not  one  which  appeals 
so  strongly  to  young  readers  as  this  collection  of  stories  and 
traditions,  gathered  from  many  sources,  and  presented  for 
the  purpose  of  inculcating  a  love  for  what  is  noble  and  true 
in  the  minds  of  the  young.  The  author's  intention  has  been 
to  make  it  a  treasury,  where  may  be  found  minuter  particu 
lars  than  are  given  in  abridged  histories,  of  the  soul-stirring 
deeds  that  lend  life  and  glory  to  the  record  of  events,  in  the 
trust  that  example  may  inspire  the  spirit  of  heroism  and 
self-rlevotion,  and  give  proof  that  the  highest  object  of  ac 
tion  is  not  to  win  promotion,  wealth  or  success,  but  simple 
duty,  mercy  and  loving-kindness.  Miss  Yonge  has  chosen 
from  history  some  of  the  most  remarkable  instances  of 
moral  and  physical  bravery,  and  has  clothed  them  in  lan 
guage  befitting  her  theme.  Many  of  them  are  familiar,  but 
we  have  never  before  seen  them  rendered  in  so  charming  a 
form,  or  in  a  manner  where  the  true  motive  of  action  was  so 
plainly  and  effectually  brought  out.  The  volume  is  printed 
in  clear  type,  on  good  paper,  and  is  attractively  bound. 

FIVE  LITTLE  PEPPERS  ;  and  How  They  Grew.  By  Mar 
garet  Sidney.  Thirty-six  illustrations  by  Jessie  Curtis. 
Boston:  D.  Lothrop  &  Co.  Price  $1.50.  Of  all  the  new 
juveniles  in  this  season's  list  there  is  not  one  which  will  be 
read  with  more  delight  by  the  little  ones  than  this  jolly 
story.  It  is  a  genuine  child's  book,  written  by  one  who 
understands  and  sympathizes  with  children.  The  incidents 
are  just  such  as  might  have  happened,  and  pathos  and 
humor  are  skilfully  mingled  in  their  telling.  The  illustra 
tions  are  charming,  and  worthy  the  reputation  of  the  artist 


NEW    PUBLICATIONS. 


SOME  CURIOUS  SCHOOLS;  or,  Climbing  the  Ladder.  Bos 
ton:  D.  Lot.hrop&  Co.  Price  $1.00.  This  is  a  new  and 
enlarged  edition  of  one  of  the  most  popular  volumes  in  last 
season's  list.  It  is  not  merely  a  book  of  entertaining 
sketches,  but  a  series  of  descriptions  of  institutions  devoted 
to  peculiar  or  technical  purposes,  which  hold  place  in  pur 
pose  and  method  outside  the  usual  educational  establish 
ments.  They  include  "  The  Children's  Hour  (New  York 
Art  School)";  "Boston  Whittling  School";  "Reform 
School  at  Mettray";  "The  Training  School  Ship  Minne 
sota";  "English  and  American  Sewing  Schools";  "The 
Boston  School  for  Deaf  Mutes";  "The  Flower  School  at 
Corlear's  Hook";  "Philadelphia  School  of  Reform"; 
"  Cadet  Life  at  West  Point  "  ;  "  The  Perkins  Institution  for 
the  Blind";  "The  Chinese  Mission  School";  "Lady  Bet 
ty's  Cooking  School"  ;  "  A  Day  Nursery,"  and  "Some 
Indian  Schools."  The  descriptions  are  all  by  popular  writers, 
and  the  illustrations  were  drawn  expressly  for  them  by  such 
artists  as  Miss  L.  B.  Humphrey,  Jessie  Curtis,  Mary  A. 
Lathbury  and  Herman  Faber. 

Two  YOUNG  HOMESTEADERS.  By  Mrs.  Theodora  R. 
Jenness.  With  36  illustrations  by  Robert  Lewis.  Boston: 
D.  Lothrop  &  Co.  Price  $1.50.  Here  is  a  story  of  life  on 
the  Kansas  border,  its  characters  drawn  from  real  life,  and 
told  in  the  most  fascinating  way.  Mrs.  Jenness  is  coming 
to  the  front  as  one  of  the  best  writers  of  magazine  stories  in 
the  country,  and  her  reputation  might  easily  rest  upon  this 
single  serial.  It  is  a  series  of  life  pictures  in  the  far  West, 
descriptions  of  the  experiences  of  border  settlers.  The 
••  two  young  homesteaders  "  are  a  plucky  young  girl  and  her 
brother,  who  attempt  to  carry  on  a  small  farm  in  Western 
Kansas.  It  gives  a  capital  idea  of  the  difficulties  with  which 
pioneer  settlers  have  to  .contend,  and  of  the  perils  which 
they  sometimes  have  to  undergo.  Every  boy  and  girl  ought 
to  read  it,  and  those  who  do  so  cannot  fail  while  enjoying  it 
to  draw  lessons  of  strength  and  self-reliance  from  it. 


NEW  PUBLICATIONS.     • 

THE  YOUNG  FOLKS'  BIBLE  HISTORY.  By  Charlotte  M. 
Yonse.  Boston :  D.  Lothrop  &  Co.  Price  $1.50.  The  pres 
ent  volume  is  not  only  important  in  itself,  but  it  is  an  addi 
tional  proof  of  the  wonderful  versatility  of  the  author. 
The  same  hand  that  so  successfully  set  before  young  readers 
the  stories  of  the  growth  and  development  of  the  different 
countries  of  Europe,  here  puts  the  grand  old  Bible  story 
into  a  form  which  the  youngest  readers  can  easily  compre 
hend.  The  language  is  simple  and  the  facts  are  told  in 
modern  style;  one  great  stumbling-block  to  the  understand 
ing  being  thus  removed.  Beginning  with  the  account  of  the 
creation,  succeeding  chapters  carry  along  the  Scriptural  rec 
ord  to  the  time  of  the  prophets,  and  from  their  day  down^to 
the  appearance  of  the  Saviour  upon  the  earth.  The  life  and 
teachings  of  Jesus  are  especially  dwelt  upon.  The  volume 
is  profusely  illustrated  with  drawings  by  English  artists.  We 
cannot  too  cordially  commend  the  plan  of  this  work,  nor  the 
excellent  manner  in  which  it  is  carried  out.  It  will  be  found 
not  only  valuable  for  home  teaching,  but  for  use  in  the  in 
fant  classes  of  Sunday-schools. 

The  New  York  Tribune  in  a  notice  of  Amanda  B.  Harris's 
"How  We  Went  Birds' -nesting  "  says:  "It  is  written  with 
charming  simplicity  of  style,  and  its  ornithology  is  taken 
directly  from  nature  and  not  from  books.  There  is  some 
thing  of  the  spirit  of  adventure  in  the  book,  and  as  the 
youthful  reader  of  dime  novels  is  filled  with  a  desire  to  go 
out  West  and  hunt  Indians,  so  the  boys  and  girls  who  read 
this  little  volume  will  be  prompted  to  visit  the  haunts  of  the 
birds  and  will  have  their  powers  of  observation  directed  and 
sharpened." 


•  BOOKS    FOR    CLERGYMEN. 

Prof.  Austin  Phelps,  of  Andover,  says  of  the  late  Rev. 
Nehemiah  Adams:  •'  It  is  the  charm  of  Dr.  Adams's  style 
and  method  in  preaching,  that  truth  fitted  by  its  profound 
ness  to  the  most  thoughtful  hearers,  is  made  clear  to  the 
most  illiterate.  Few  men  have  adorned  the  American 
pulpit  with  a  broader  reach  in  adaptation  to  different 
classes  of  mind." — We  cannot  commend  too  warmly  the 
volumes  which  contain  the  selected  discourses  of  Dr. 
Adams  They  are  full  of  meat,  and  will  be  invaluable  to 
clergymen  as  models  of  style  and  thought.  At  Eventide, 
published  two  or  three  years  since,  has  won  its  way  to  a 
steady  demand.  Walks  to  Emmaus,  the  first  volume  of  a 
proposed  series  of  six,  embraces  two  sermons  for  each  Sal> 
bath  of  the  entire  year,  and  is  adapted  for  the  pulpit,  the 
sick  room  or  the  library.  Each  of  the  six  volumes  now  in 
preparation,  to  be  issued  every  year  or  two,  will  be  complete 
in  itself,  although  forming  a  part  of  this  work  designed  as 
"  one  year's  discourses."  Every  evangelical  minister,  theo 
logical  student,  and  household  should  possess  this  crowning 
work  of  this  eminent  divine,  and  standard  religious  writer. 

Of  other  works  of  Dr.  Adams  which  claim  a  place  in  every 
Christian  household  there  is  Aynes;  or,  The  Little  Key,  a 
book  which  the  Congregationalist  says:  '*  We  believe  it  will, 
go  down  the  ages  in  company  with  Bunyan's  Pile/rim's  Pro 
gress,  Jeremy  Taylor's  Holy  Living,  and  Baxter's  Saint's 
Best;" — The  Communion  Sabbath,  Tie  Friends  of  Christ 
and  a  companion  volume,  Christ  a  Friend.  Broadcast  is  a 
collection  of  choice  original  thoughts  admirably  expressed. 
An  edition  of  Dr.  Adams's  work  in  11  volumes  has  been  is 
sued  by  the  Messrs.  Lothrop  at  $1.00  per  volume.  It  in 
cludes  in  addition  to  those  already  mentioned,  Catherine, 
Endless  Punishment,  Bertha  and  her  Baptism  and  The  Cross 
in  the  Cell. 

Akin  in  aim  and  interest  to  Dr.  Adams's  works  are  Dr. 
Wayland's  volume  of  University  sermons,  Salvation  by 
Christ;  the  Bremen  Lectures  on  Fundamental  Relic/ions 
Questions,  a  new  and  enlarged  edition;  Rev.  J.  ('haplin's 
Memorial  Hour;  Tholuck's  Hour's  of  Christian  Devotion; 
Prof.  Austin  Phelps'  Still  Hour  and  New  Birth;  The  Seven 
Words  from  the  Cross,  by  Rev,  W.  H.  Adams,  and  Butter- 
worth's  Notable  Prayers  of  Christian  History. 


POPULAR  BOOKS 

BY 

JOSEPH  BANVARD,  D.  D. 

FIRST    EXPLORERS    OF     NORTH    AMERICA;    or,    DISCOVERIES 
AND  ADVENTURES  IN  THE  NEW  WORLD. 

PIONEERS  OF  THE  NEW  WORLD. 
SOUTHERN  EXPLORERS   AND   COLONISTS. 

PLYMOUTH  AND  THE  PILGRIMS  ;  or,  INCIDENTS  OF  ADVENTURE  IN 
THE  HISTORY  OF  THB  FIRST  SETTLERS. 

SOLDIERS    AND    PATRIOTS    OF    THE   AMERICAN    REVOLU 
TION. 

Every  library  should  be  furnished  with  this  series  of  American  Histories. — 
New  England  Farmer. 

No  more  interesting  and  instructive  reading  can  be  put  into  the  hands  of 
youth.- — Portland  Transcript. 

Every  American  should  own  these  books. — Scientific  American. 

All  published  uniform   with  this  volume      Price  $1.25  each.     Sold  by  all 
Booksellers,  and  sent  free  of  postage  on  receipt  of  price,  by 

D.  LOTHROP  &  CO.,  BOSTON. 


NEW    PUBLICATIONS. 


CHIPS  FROM  THE   WHITE   HOUSE.* 

In  this  handsome  volume  of  SCO  pages  have  been 
brought  together  some  of  the  most  important  utterances  of 
our  twenty  presidents,  carefully  selected  from  speeches  and 
addresses,  public  documents  and  private  correspondence, 
and  touching  upon  a  large  variety  of  subjects.  Some  of 
them  occupy  several  pages,  while  others  are  in  the  form  of 
aphorisms,  and  show  the  power  which  most  of  our  presi 
dents  have  had  of  putting  things  graphically  and  to  the 
point.  Thus,  John  Adams  says:  "  Genius  is  oftener  an  in 
strument  of  divine  vengeance  than  a  guardian  angel; 
"  Wise  statesmen,  like  able  artists  of  every  kind,  study  na 
ture,  and  their  works  are  perfect  in  proportion  as  they  con 
form  to  her  laws  "  ;  Jefferson,  "  An  honest  heart  being  the 
first  blessing,  a  knowing  head  is  the  second";  "The  man 
who  fights  for  the  country  is  entitled  to  vote  ";  Madison, 
"Justice  is  the  end  of  government";  "The  union  of  the 
States  is  strengthened  by  every  occasion  which  puts  it  to  the 
test";  Jackson,  "There  are  no  necessary  evils  in  govern 
ment.  Its  evils  exist  only  in  abuses";  "No  man  is  good 
enough  to  govern  another  man  without  that  other's  con 
sent";  "There  are  two  pjinciples  that  have  stood  face  to 
face  from  the  beginning  of  time,  and  will  ever  continue  to 
struggle:  the  one  is  the  common  right  of  humanity,  and  the 
other  is  the  divine  right  of  things."  We  might  fill  pages 
with  these  terse  and  telling  paragraphs,  had  we  space,  to 
show  what  the  compiler  claims,  that  "in  the  regular  suc 
cession  of  rulers,  the  chief  magistrates  of  the  United  States 
have  all  been  men  of  fair  reputation  and  abilities,  and  many 
of  them  men  of  superior  literary  ability  and  singular  devo 
tion  to  the  interests  of  humanity  and  freedom." 

.The  contents  are  chronologically  arranged,  the  names  of 
the  different  presidents  following  each  other  in  consecutive 
order  from  Washington  to  Garfield.  Each  chapter  is  pre 
faced  by  a  brief  synopsis  of  the  life  and  services  of  its  sub 
ject,  and  most  of  the  extracts  are  dated,  with  brief  explan 
ations  of  the  circumstances  under  which  they  were  written. 
The  work,  in  fact,  is  a  handbook  from  which  the  reader 
may  learn  more  of  the  real  characters  of  the  men  who  form 
the  subject  of  its  contents  than  from  any  other  single  vol 
ume  of  which  we  have  knowledge. 

The  selections  are  made  with  admirable  judgment,  and 
with  the  purpose  of  showing  not  only  the  peculiar  political 
opinions  of  the  writers,  but  their  social  and  domestic  char 
acteristics.  Aside  from  its  interest,  the  volume  is  invalua 
ble  as  a  convenient  book  of  reference  for  the  student,  young 
or  old,  of  American  history.  It  is  printed  in  clear,  large 
type,  is  tastefully  and  strongly  bound,  and  is  supplemented 
by  a  very  full  index. 

•Chips  from  the  White  House.  Compiled  by  Jeremiah  Chaplin.  Boston : 
D.  Lothrop  &  Co.  Price  $i  50. 


NEW    PUBLICATIONS. 

THE  TEMPTER  BEHIND.  By  the  Author  of  "  Israel  Mort, 
Overman."  Boston:  D.  Lothrop  &  Co.  Price  $1.25.  Most 
readers  of  fiction  will  remember  "Israel  Mort,  Overman,"  a 
book  which  created  several  years  ago  a  profound  sensation 
both  in  this  country  and  in  England.  It  was  a  work  of  in 
tense  strength  and  showed  such  promise  on  the  part  of  the 
anonymous  author  that  a  succeeding  work  from  the  same 
hand  has  ever  since  been  anxiously  looked  for,  in  the  belief 
that,  should  it  be  written,  it  would  make  a  yet  more  decided 
impression.  "  The  Tempter  Behind,"  now  just  brought  out 
in  this  country,  shows  that  the  estimate  of  the  public  as  to 
the  ability  of  the  author  was  not  too  high.  It  is  in  every 
way  a  higher  and  stronger  work,  and  one  that  cannot  but 
have  a  marked  effect  wherever  it  is  read.  It  is  not  merely  an 
intensely  interesting  story;  something  more  earnest  than 
the  mere  excitement  of  incident  underlies  the  book.  It  is 
the  record  of  the  struggles  of  a  young  and  ambitious  student 
against  the  demon  of  drink.  He  is  an  orphan  —  the  ward  of 
a  rich  uncle  who  proposes  to  settle  his  entire  property  upon 
him  in  case  he  conforms  to  his  wishes.  It  is  the  desire  of 
the  uncle  that  he  shall  become  a  clergyman,  a  profession  for 
which  the  young  man  has  a  strong  and  natural  preference. 
Unknown  to  his  uncle,  he  has  formed  the  habit  of  social 
drinking  at  college  from  which  he  cannot  extricate  himself. 
The  terrible  thirst  for  intoxicants  paralyses  his  will,  and 
renders  him  a  slave  to  the  cup.  Every  effort  he  makes  is 
unsuccessful.  He  loses  rank  at  college,  and  is  afterward 
dismissed  from  his  post  as  private  secretary  to  an  official  of 
the  government,  on  account  of  the  neglect  of  his  studies  and 
duties,  but  without  exposure.  His  uncle  knows  his  failures, 
but  not  their  cause,  and  demands  that  he  either  enter  the 
ministerial  profession  for  which  he  has  prepared  himself,  or 
leave  the  shelter  of  his  roof.  The  young  man,  who  has  too 
much  principle  to  assume  a  position  which  he  fears  lie  may 
disgrace,  does  not  confide  in  his  uncle,  and  secretly  departs 
from  the  house,  leaving  behind  him  a  letter  of  farewell,  de 
termined  to  make  one  more  trial  by  himself,  and  among 
strangers,  to  break  the  chains  which  bind  him  so  closely. 
The  story  of  his  experiences,  trials  and  temptations  are  viv 
idly  and  almost  painfully  told,  with  their  results.  The  book 
needs  no  commendation.  Through  the  enterprise  of  the 
publishers,  it  makes  its  first  appearance  in  America,  and 
will  be  brought  out  in  London  after  its  issue  here. 


By  CHARLOTTE  M.  YONGE. 


YOUNG  FOLKS'  HISTORY  OF  GERMANY,  12  mo.  Cloth.  $1.50 

"            «              "            "    GREECE,          "  "  1.50 

«           «              «           "    ROME,             »  "  1.50 

«            «              «           .«    EN-GLAND,       "  «  1.50 

«           "             «           "    FRANCE,         «  "  1.50 

«           "             "           "    BIBLE              «  «  1.50 

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THE  LITTLE  DUKE  :  Richard  the  Fearless.     12  mo.    Cloth.  1.25 

LANCES  OF  LYNNWOOD:     Chivalry  in  England.     12  mo.    Cloth.  1.25 

PRINCE  AND  PAGE:  The  Last  Crusade.     12  mo.    Cloth.  1.25 

GOLDEN  DEEDS  :  Brave  and  Noble  Actions.    12  mo.    Cloth.  1.25 


LITTLE  LUCY'S  WONDERFUL  GLOBE.    Sq.  16  mo.    Cloth.  1.25 


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A     000  957  237 


